The Youngest Evans
by becks89
Summary: -Completed- Buffy Anne Evans is taken from her family when she is 11, by the Watcher's Council. When she is 27, Buffy accepts an invitiation from an old friend for a chance to fight Voldemort...and to find the family she lost. Please R&R! Last chapter u
1. Christmas

Disclaimer: I'm only going to do this once, so read carefully…The characters of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Harry Potter do not belong to me, they belong to Joss Whedon and J.K Rowling.  I am not making any money from this story…so don't sue!!!

Summary:  Buffy Anne Evans is taken from her family when she is eleven years old, by the Watcher's Council.  She is placed in Joyce and Hank Summers care.  When she is twenty seven, an old friend approaches her with a chance to fight against evil…and to find the family she lost so many years ago.

Timeline and Spoilers:  Harry Potter Spoilers-all the books.  Buffy spoilers:  Spoilers up to and including Season Four.  This story continues way past Season Four, but Dawn is not alive, Glory does not exist, Riley has left for the jungle, Tara and Willow are still going strong, Anya and Xander are together and married and Spike has a chip.  Angel spoilers:  None, I am not following the series, but Doyle is dead…Gunn, Fred, Wesley, Cordy and Angel are fighting evil.  Conner is not alive…Wolfram and Hart is there but will probably go without a mention.  The Angel guys are not in it a lot, the main characters will be from Buffy and Harry Potter.  The Buffy, Xander and co are twenty seven, it is the summer after Book Five.

Notes:  Faith is NOT in jail.  Her deal will be explained.  Spike is in love with Buffy.  Sirius is dead, but he may not stay that way…wink wink.

It was Christmas morning and five great friends sat in a living room, watching a young child open presents with great happiness.  Occasionally, there was a laugh, a squeal, and a hug as the girl opened the gifts, ecstatic by each one, as they were given to her by very close friends and family.  One of these close friends went by the name Sirius Black, and, having already drunk quite a considerable amount of Firewhisky, stood up and held up his full glass for a toast.

"For family and friends, let's hope that in the New Year, all this shite will be blown over.  To family."

"To family."  The group chorused, raising their glasses and drinking their drinks.

The young girl, who had short blonde hair and sparkling emerald eyes frowned at her own glass of orange juice and pouted to her new brother-in-law. 

"James?"  She asked, her bottom lip sticking out a little.

James looked over to the young girl and smiled, knowing the look.  She wanted something.  "Yes Buffy." 

"How come I don't get a Firewhisky?"

The only other girl in the room snorted, and peered over the bundle in her lap to her sister.  "Buffy, when you're older, you can have some."

"Lily."  Buffy whined, "Sirius says I can have a sip."

Lily glared at Sirius, who grinned sheepishly.  "What can it hurt, Lils?"

"She's eleven Sirius." 

"You're point being?" 

"Padfoot, she's just a child."  Lupin chastised, sipping his own mug of Butterbeer.

"Please?"  Buffy whined, sticking out her lower lip even more.

Peter sighed, "Just let her Lils, you know you won't win with that look."  Lily frowned, then nodded and Buffy jumped up with happiness, running over to Sirius and holding out her hand.  Sirius grinned at her, and she smiled back, taking the glass and swirling the liquid.  With a large breath, she lifted the glass to her mouth and quickly drank it all, consuming an almost full glass of alcohol.

"Buffy!"  Lily said, shocked, while the other boys just laughed merrily as Buffy plastered on a silly grin on her face and swayed on the floor dramatically.  "Be quiet everyone, you'll wake up Harry."   She scolded, looking down on her son's angelic face, a small smile on his lips as he slept.

The group nodded, and Buffy settled down in front of Sirius, leaning her head back on his legs.  Sirius was her favourite Marauder, in her opinion, he was the most fun.  James was fun as well, but whenever her sister, Lily was around, he would act all 'lovey-dovey' with her and would do anything she said.  Lupin was nice and composed, it was easy to curl up next to him at nights and read a book with him, the fire blazing peacefully next to them.  Peter was alright, he was whiny and followed the others like a dog, but Buffy liked him.  Sirius was her favourite though; he was fun, clever, and very good looking.  Buffy had a 'slight' crush on him, and the Marauders and her sister never stopped teasing her about it, but Sirius did not seem to mind.  He called her his favourite girl.

"Did you have fun at school, Buff?"  Lupin asked.

Buffy grinned, she loved talking about Hogwarts.  She had been really excited when she got the letter, because her sister told her everything about it.  Her other sister, Petunia had not been happy though, and she had not spoken to her since.

"It's great!  I've made loads of friends, there's this really nice boy in Gryffindor called Charlie Weasley, and we have loads of fun together."  Buffy informed eagerly.  

"Is he cute?"  Lily asked, grinning.  Buffy blushed, but nodded vigorously, at which the group laughed.

"You haven't gone off me, have you?" Sirius asked a mock-hurt look on his face. 

"Nah."  Buffy grinned, as Sirius took her hand and pulled her up to sit next to him on the sofa.

"Sirius, don't you dare marry her.  I'm not having my sister getting married to some idiot like you."  Lily warned with mirth in her eyes.

Sirius grinned, but then his face turned serious and he leapt off the couch and took off the ring on his finger and knelt in front of Buffy.

"Buffy Summers, will you do me the honour of being my wife?"  He asked, holding out the ring to her.  Buffy laughed and swatted his arm, to which Sirius winced and gingerly rubbed his arm.  He sat back on the sofa, glaring at the others who were shaking in laughter. 

"It's a really pretty ring, Sirius."  Buffy commented, inspecting the ring.  It was a plain silver ring with a tiny blue sapphire.

"You like it?"  Buffy nodded, grinning up to Sirius.  "It's yours."  Sirius slid the ring on Buffy's thumb, smiling at the shocked girl.  "An extra Christmas present."  He said.  Buffy grinned and hugged Sirius tightly, all the while admiring the ring on her thumb.  James and Lily exchanged looks; they knew how much Sirius adored Buffy.  She was his favourite girl, apparently, and the two got on famously, despite the eight year gap in their ages.  Buffy was eleven and was in her first year at Hogwarts, while Sirius and the other Marauders were nineteen, having left Hogwarts a year ago.

"Lily, James!  Open the gift I got for Harry!"  Buffy ordered, hopping off the couch and running over to the Christmas tree, which was surrounded by wrapping paper and packages.  Buffy knelt down and picked up a small package, which was attacked to a card.  Buffy threw the package to James, which he caught perfectly, years of being a Chaser paying off.  He opened the card, and after shaking his black hair out of his eyes, read it out loud.

"Dear Harry.

I know it's kind of stupid to address the card to you, because you can't read yet, but hopefully, one day you'll read it and you'll remember that the person writing this is your aunt.  I did not know what to get you, because you're only little and I can't get you porn as Sirius advised, but I decided to get you this.  You have to never take it off, because it's really special, I transfigured it in class a couple of weeks ago.

Lots of love,

Buffy."

James smiled to Buffy and opened the small package.  Inside the paper was a blue velvet box, and inside that, was a silver necklace, with a pendant with the letter 'H' on it.  Lily sighed happily as she laid eyes on it, and carefully, James removed it from the box and fastened it around Harry's neck.  The chain was quite big for the small baby, but the pendant suited Harry perfectly.  Lily smiled up to Buffy with a large smile on her face.

"Thank you Buff, its-"

A large bang interrupted Lily and five men immediately entered the room, all armed with wands and guns.  Buffy screamed and the Marauders stood up immediately, wands at the ready.  The oldest man stepped in front, careful armed with a wand and a tranquilizer gun, pointing to the man closest, Lupin.

"Buffy Evans?"  The man said, addressing the frightened girl.

"What do you want with her?"  Lily spat, motioning for Buffy to move behind her.

"We are here from the Watcher's Council, she needs to leave with us immediately."  The man said.

"Who are you?"  Sirius hissed, raising his wand to the man.

"Quentin Travers, head of the Watcher's Council.  Buffy Evans is a potential slayer and we are here to take her away.  She will be placed in care and will be given the adequate training to prepare her for the role of the slayer."

The five adults stood, dumbstruck, shocked by the news they had just heard.  They had learnt about the slayer at school, and none of them had forgotten what the role of a slayer entailed.  Violence, pain and early death.  And none of them wanted that for Buffy.

"You are not taking her!"  James cried, raising his wand.

"Boy, we could do this the easy way, or the hard way."  Travers warned, "And I prefer the easy way, but I am perfectly fine to do this the hard way."  Travers raised the gun to James, threatening him.  Travers cocked his head to Buffy, who was hiding behind Lupin.  Two men separated from the group and grabbed Buffy, dragging her to door.  Buffy kicked and screamed at the men, and then all hell broke loose.

Guns were fired, curses were said and jets of red light shot around the room as the Marauders tried to get to Buffy.

"Let her go!"  Lily cried, placing a screaming Harry on the chair and grabbing her wand, making her way through the men in the living room to Buffy.

"Lily!  Help me!"  Buffy cried, trying to get out of the men's grasp as they tried to drag her out of the house.

"Leave her alone!"  Lupin roared, the anger of the wolf coming out in his yell, trying to stupefy the men, but couldn't because the other's were battling them and were getting in the way.

"Say good bye kid."  One watcher said who had a hold on Buffy.

"LILY!"  With that last scream, Buffy was dragged out of the house, and the other men followed.  The Marauders followed the men outside, but they were too fast.  The Watcher's had shoved Buffy in a car and had driven off by the time they got outside, leaving the young adults looking at the directions they could have gone it.

"We have to go after them!"  Lily screamed, running down the street. 

James caught up with her, and held her close to his chest, her tears wetting his robes.  "It's too late, Lils."

"No!"  She choked, trying to get out of his grasp.  James held her tighter, stroking her hair gently.

"She's gone Lily.  Buffy's gone."

How do you like it?  Please review!!!

Edited:  12/07/04


	2. Beer and an Unexpected Letter

Summary:  Buffy Anne Evans is taken from her family when she is eleven years old, by the Watcher's Council.  She is placed in Joyce and Hank Summers care.  When she is twenty seven, an old friend approaches her with a chance to fight against evil…and to find the family she lost so many years ago.

Timeline and Spoilers:  Harry Potter Spoilers-all the books.  Buffy spoilers:  Spoilers up to and including Season Four.  This story continues way past Season Four, but Dawn is not alive, Glory does not exist, Riley has left for the jungle, Tara and Willow are still going strong, Anya and Xander are together and married and Spike has a chip.  Angel spoilers:  None, I am not following the series, but Doyle is dead…Gunn, Fred, Wesley, Cordy and Angel are fighting evil.  Conner is not alive…Wolfram and Hart is there but will probably go without a mention.  The Angel guys are not in it a lot, the main characters will be from Buffy and Harry Potter.  The Buffy, Xander and co are twenty seven, it is the summer after Book Five.

Notes:  Faith is NOT in jail.  Her deal will be explained.  Spike is in love with Buffy.  Sirius is dead, but he may not stay that way…wink wink.

WOW…37 reviews for just one chapter…geez am I happy!  I really appreciate all you support and I am SO glad you all liked it!! Thanks for reviewing!

I am glad to hear people liked to Sirius/Buffy interaction…and the necklace and the 'proposing'.

Me, the red queen, and Dragonkatgal: It was meant to be Buffy Evans…but being me, I put Buffy Summers instead because I'm stupid.  But thanks for telling me otherwise I wouldn't have noticed!! Thanks for reviewing!

Catlimere:  I will explain how the Summers are connected to the Watcher's Council later on 'k?  Thanks for reviewing!

I guess I have to do this…even though this person didn't even mention me in her update!!! Meanie!  So if you all know who I'm talking about…go and read her story…it's ok…it's not amazing…I'm kidding!!! Sam-453's stories are brilliant, go and read them, review them, and then she'll come and tell me how amazing all the reviews are and go on and on and on and on about it.  

Please review!!!!

Chapter 2.

Buffy Summers walked down the cold streets of LA, hugging her duster close to her body.  It was almost midnight, and the night had been slow, she had only dusted one vampire.  Sighing, Buffy twirled the dagger in her hand, enjoying the way it felt in her grasp.  She loved all weapons, but this dagger was special.  It was given to her by the Watcher's Council on her twenty fifth birthday, when she had been a slayer for ten years.  She was now twenty seven, and she did not feel a day older than nineteen.  She knew she did not look twenty seven, maybe about twenty, and she acted twenty also.  She was young for a normal human being, but old for a slayer.  She was the oldest slayer in history, and she was the most powerful one also.  No other slayer previous to her had been this successful, had stopped this many apocalypses or had managed to kill as many demons as her.  Buffy had been to hell, literally, she had died once and she had averted nine apocalypses.  All demons and vampires knew her name, all feared her and Buffy loved it.

"Buffy, you're back early."  Willow said as Buffy entered the house she shared with Willow and Tara.  

Buffy shrugged off her black duster and jumped onto the sofa, catching a bottle of beer that Willow threw her.  

"Slow night, huh?"  Tara said, joining the two girls in the living room.

"I think I've killed almost all the vampires in LA."  Buffy said, taking a swig from her bottle.

"But that's good right?"  Willow said, munching on some crisps.

Buffy shook her head, a sad smile on her face.  "I'll have to move again."  Buffy admitted.

"No, you can't!  You just arrived here, you can't go!"  Willow protested.

"I have to Wills, this town is officially dead.  I mean, alive.  There are no demons, no vampires and no other evil things in this city.  I'll have to leave."

"But you move around so much Buff."  Tara argued.

Buffy shrugged again, it was true, she did, but that was because she was the slayer.  Willow and Tara had moved to LA three years ago, and five months ago, Buffy had moved here, planning to say permanently.  But it could not happen.  For the past seven years, Buffy had been moving all around the US, getting rid of the vampires and demons until there was none left.  Sunnydale was supposed to be the active hellmouth, but everything had stayed dead when they defeated Adam.  Buffy had left, with money from the Council and had moved from place to place, defeating evil.  She had been to all states in the US, going to all the major cities to kill the bad guys, but now, the US was safe.  Of course, there was the odd vampire or demon, but people could deal with that.  Her job was done in the US.  She had to go overboard and fight there, were there were still vampires and demons roaming around.  Besides, Faith could stop the bad guys in America by herself, she did not need Buffy.  She voiced her opinions to Willow and Tara, and they nodded, understanding.

"Angel's going to be upset."  Willow pointed out quietly.

Buffy shrugged, "Screw Angel."

"You did.  That was not of the good."

Buffy rolled her eyes at Willow.  "He left me nine years ago; you would think he would have gotten over me by now."  She knew she was being hypocritical, but she didn't care.

"Leave him alone Buff, he still loves you and I think that's a good thing."  Tara replied.

"Why?  He knows it can't happen, so why does he love me?  Remember, it was his choice to leave me, not mine."  Buffy frowned, she still loved Angel, and she knew she always would, but she knew it could never happen.  After her graduation, Angel had left, gone to Los Angeles to fight evil there.  Away from Buffy.

 "We should go to bed."  Tara said, standing up and stretching.  Willow nodded, casting a look to Buffy, her best friend.

"I agree."  Said the red head, standing up also.  "Don't stay up too late Buff."  She called over her shoulder as Willow and Tara left the living room.  

Buffy nodded, and tucked her legs under her couch.  She did this every night, when everyone was asleep.  She needed alone time, to think about everything, her past, her present, and her future.  But she normally thought about her past.  She normally thought about that day, when she was taken from her family and friends.  Christmas day, fifteen years ago.

She remembered it as if it was yesterday, the joyous laughter, the smell of Firewhiskey, and the happy faces.  She also remembered the screaming, the curses, the pain and the sadness.  In her mind, she could still hear her older sister screaming at the top of her lungs, she could still see Moony and Padfoot trying to protect her, and she could still see Quentin Traver's twisted face as he grinned horribly at her.  She hated that man with vengeance.  

At the time, when she was on the plane to America, her hands in cuffs, she blamed Travers wholly on the matter.  But afterwards, when she actually became a slayer, four years after she was kidnapped, she realised that it was not his fault, it was hers, her own.  She was the reason she was taken from everything she knew, because she had a destiny that must be fulfilled.  

Two years after Buffy had become the slayer, when she had thrust her sword in Angel's gut, she wished that she had not been chosen.  She wished that she was just a normal girl, sitting at home with her sister, doing her Transfiguration homework.  But _no, she was the slayer; she was chosen especially to fight evil, to defend the world.  She hated it, she hated being a slayer, and she hated being the one that everyone turned to.  _

That feeling did not change until Faith arrived in town.  Faith was loud, lively, witty and young, and she helped Buffy understand that it was fate, destiny that Buffy was a slayer, and that she shouldn't hate it.  Being a slayer was a gift, a gift given to a normal girl, and Buffy was lucky enough to receive this gift.  Faith understood her, more than Willow could, more than Lily had.  Faith was the only one besides her who had been put under this position, who had been given this gift and who lost so much because of it.  But it did not bring Faith down, it made her happy.  In Faith logic, they were the luckiest girls alive to have power like this, to be chosen as something so special, it was a gift that they shouldn't hate, but should revel in.  

So when Buffy and Faith had gone patrolling together, Faith had taught Buffy to loosen up, to accept this gift and to have fun.  And Buffy had taken Faith's advice and had stopped hating her gift, and over time, she had learned to love it.  If someone had asked her eleven years ago if she wanted to give up being the slayer, she probably would have said yes.  However, if someone had asked if she wanted to give up being a slayer, right now,  she would say 'no', with a 'hell' in front of it.

Sighing, Buffy stretched her legs from beneath her and drank the last of her beer.  She grinned as she remembered the first time she had had beer.  Things had turned out bad, prehistoric bad.  Buffy made her way to the kitchen, throwing the bottle over her shoulder where it landed in the bin.  She opened the fridge, selecting a strawberry flavoured yoghurt from the top shelf.  She took off the wrapper and grabbed a spoon from the sink, dipping it into the tub. 

Buffy walked back to the couch and looked at her watch, the time was quarter past midnight.  Quickly, Buffy finished the yoghurt and threw the empty tub away.  She made her way over to the sink, the wind from the open window blowing in her face.  She smiled; she loved the peace in the night, after going patrolling she would relax in a bath tub or something, indulging in the peace and quiet of the night.  

But the peace and quiet was interrupted by a hooting of an owl, and a thump by as a small black owl landed on the kitchen table.  Buffy grinned, and wiped her hands dry with a towel before opening the letter the owl held.

_Dear Buffy._

_I do hope you are well, last time we met I remember that you had gained an injury fighting a demon.  _

_I write to announce my arrival to __Los Angeles__ this Saturday, (2nd August) and I would like to see you during my visit.  I admit, that the visit is purely business, not pleasure (it is always a pleasure to see you, Buffy!) and I have a proposition for you.  _

_I cannot talk about it here, it is not as informal as I would like.  I shall be arriving when the clock turns __half past 12__, at your house. _

_I hope I am not imposing, but this visit is terribly important.  I will not be staying long, and if you accept my proposition, you shall be joining me on my trip home._

_Yours faithfully-_

Buffy had not the time to read the name of sender because she was interrupted by a loud pop behind her.  She spun around and was greeted by a familiar, smiling face, his blue eyes twinkling, and his long white hair protruding below a purple hat.

Buffy grinned, and pointed at her watch.  "It's twelve thirty-one, your late Albus."

OK OK…before you say anything…this will NOT be a Buffy/Angel pairing.  Yes this is a pairing fic, but the characters I have in mind will be from the Harry Potter verse.

Please review!!


	3. Dumbledore and Propositions

For my disclaimer, see chapter 1.

Wow!  So many reviews, and I am completely overwhelmed by all the support I'm getting so thank you so much.  It definitely helps with the updates! 

Dragonkatgirl:  Woah, that's a lot of questions!!  I am going to be explaining everything in these next couple of chapters…the deal with Dumbledore is explained in this one.  Buffy doesn't know the circumstances of her sister's death though, she knows Lily was killed by Voldemort, but she doesn't know about Harry and any of his business, she doesn't know about Peter's betrayal, and she certainly doesn't know about anything with Sirius.  Joyce and Hank connections will be explained in two chapters.  And Buffy/Lupin?  Thanks, but no thanks, I really can't imagine them together.  Thanks for reviewing!

LilPyschoGrl51: Happy birthday for August 2nd!! (A bit early I know)  As for the Buffy/Charlie pairing, I actually considered that, but I have someone else for him in mind.  And I'm not going to tell ya!  Thanks for reviewing!

Miz:  Everything with Angel and his gang will be talked about in the next chapter.  I don't have a series timeline for them, so nothing is really happening in the evil sense at LA.  Buffy just lives there.  Thanks for reviewing!

OK, so why does everyone think I'm going to pair Buffy with Sirius?  Did I ever say that?   Huh?  Huh?  Well, if you want the romance to happen with Buffy, you're going to have to stick around for a bit because that is not going to be happening for a while.  And I'll be keeping schtum till then.

Please review!!!

Chapter 3.

Dumbledore's smile grew larger and he opened his arms, and Buffy hugged him fiercely.  

"A wizard is never late, Buffy, he arrives precisely when he means to."  Dumbledore argued, his face serious, but his eyes twinkling more than ever.  

Buffy snorted, swatting his arm playfully.  "I should have never rented that movie, Dumble-d."

"I quite enjoyed it, a brilliant take on the adventures of my dear old friend."  

Buffy raised her eyebrow at him, and Dumbledore smiled knowingly.  "Friend?"

"Yes, Gandalf is an old friend.  I met him several decades ago, before all that business with the Ring."

Buffy smiled.  "Well, will Gandalf be visiting you anytime soon, with a friend?  Shall we say, a certain blonde elf, by the name Legolas?"  Buffy implied, taking Dumbledore into the living room and sitting him down on the sofa.

"My dear, Gandalf will never set foot in this earth, for many reasons which I shall not tell of."  Dumbledore said, taking off his purple wizarding hat and settling down on the sofa.  

"Ok, ok, forget Gandalf and the fellowship of the whatever, tell me about this 'proposition' you have for me!"  Buffy said loudly, excited.

"You are such an impatient child, much like Lily was when she was young."  Dumbledore chuckled, the room filling with warmth and the noise.

"Petunia was the patient, quiet one, I remember."  Buffy said with a large grin on her face.  She loved talking about her family, even though she was sometimes reminded of what had happened to Lily, eight months after Buffy had been kidnapped.  Dumbledore had told Buffy of what had happened at Godric's hollow, two months after they had met, nine months ago.  Buffy had stayed in her room for two weeks; she had not received food or contact with anyone and her friends had been extremely worried about.  But a few kind words from Faith and Dumbledore had gotten her out of her bedroom, and she was carefully nurtured back to her normal self.

"Dumbledore?"  A voice called, and Willow and Tara appeared at the top of the stairs, their hair a mess and their clothes arranged looking as if they had just put them on.

"My dear girls, I hope I am not interrupting anything."  Dumbledore said with a mischievous look on his face.  Tara promptly turned red and Willow laughed, running down the stairs and embracing the old man.  He was a favourite among the girls, the wizened, trusting face of the man made anyone feel at ease, and the knowledge of magic enchanted the three girls, for Willow and Tara were powerful Wicca's and Buffy had been learning both Wicca magic for two years, and wand magic for nine months, ever since she had met Dumbledore.

"You are interrupting nothing that can't be continued later."  Willow smirked, settling down on the sofa, her hand attached to Tara's.

"What b-brings you h-here?"  Tara stuttered, still embarrassed.  Buffy thrust the letter into her friend's hands and they both read the letter, their eyebrows rising up higher and higher at every sentence.

"Dumble-d was just going to tell me about this 'proposition'" Buffy raised her fingers in quote marks, "when you guys interrupted."

"Yes, well, this is strictly for Buffy, but you girls may listen and aid her in her decision."  The girls nodded, and expectantly looked at Dumbledore.  He cleared his throat and when he spoke; his tone of voice was an important business like one, which made Willow quietly snort in laughter, earning a glare from her lover.  "You already know about the situation the wizarding world is in, and you know the cause.  Voldemort is back, and the Ministry of Magic has accepted this news.  They are training an army of Aurors for the upcoming war, initiating more young wizards to help fight.  I, being the head of the Order of the Phoenix need more people for my small army.  We have a number of people in the Order at the moment, but, having just lost one of our numbers, we will need another fighter.  This is why I am asking you, Buffy, to join the fight against Voldemort, and become a member of the Order."

Dumbledore finished, and the house was silent, everyone had his or her eyes on Buffy.  Her brows where furrowed, her chin resting on her chin and she looked as if she was deep in thought.  Her gaze was fixed on the polished wooden floor, and she made no move to tell them the answer.  Tara and Willow exchanged glances, but before they had time to return their gaze to Buffy, she had straightened up, a serious look plastered on her face.

"My answer is," Buffy paused for dramatic effect and Willow found herself leaning forward.  A smile crept onto Buffy's tanned face and she squealed.  "Hell yeah!"

Dumbledore breathed a smile of relief and found himself being embraced by Buffy.

"Your timing couldn't be more perfect!"  She squealed, releasing Dumbledore.  "Wasn't I just saying that I had to move, because this town is officially dead?"  Tara and Willow grinned and they both stood up to hug Buffy.  They knew it was not just about the Order, or the coming war with Voldemort.  Ever since Buffy had met Dumbledore, she had asked repeatedly whether he would help her find her family, and even more after she found out that James and Lily were dead.  But Dumbledore had always said no, always said to wait for when the time was right.  Now, the time was right, and Buffy knew that by going to England, she had a chance of finding her family.

"Congratulations, Buffy."  Willow said, a large smile on her face.

Buffy turned to her, a frown on her face.  "I'll be leaving, you don't mind do you?"  

Willow grinned, shaking her head.  "Course not, I can think of plenty ways to help myself recover from the shock of you leaving."  

Buffy rolled her eyes and Willow shot a dirty grin at Tara, who returned with one of her own.  "Nice Willow, real nice."

"I'm not mad, honestly.  I think it's good for you to go."  Willow said seriously, and genuinely.  "And I'm sure the other Scoobies will feel the same way, though I think Xander Junior will miss his godmother."  Willow said, thinking of Xander's young five year old, Xander Junior, who was Buffy's godson.  Xander and Anya had gotten married six years ago, after three years of dating.  They had another child, Sarah, two years after Xander Junior was born and Anya was five months pregnant with another child.  

"I have to tell everyone don't I!"  Buffy exclaimed.

"Well, I am planning on returning to England in the evening, would that give you enough time to tell everyone?"  Dumbledore asked.

"Yeah, thank god everyone's in LA at the moment."  Buffy said, relieved.

Dumbledore yawned, smiling at the young girls.  "Well, I'm tired, why don't we turn in for a couple of hours, let Willow and Tara get back to what they were doing, and we can sort everything out in a couple of hours?"  The girls nodded, and they all headed separated ways, Tara and Willow headed to their bedroom, Buffy headed to her bedroom opposite the girl's and Dumbledore to the spare bedroom he had occupied so many times before.

It's quite a short chapter…but hopefully the chapters will get longer once I get into the swing of things and more involved in the story line. 

Please review!

Sam-453.  Update.  Now.  Or I will get very angry and not update any of my stories. Argh.


	4. Goodbyes and Farewells

Hi everyone!  I'm in such a good but also bad mood today.  If anyone lives in England…and especially London where I live…you will know its been SNOWING!!! Yay!  Love some of the white stuff.  Unfortunately…my school day tomorrow hasn't been cancelled…yet…so I'm in a sucky mood.

Woah…again with the lots of reviews!   So flattered that you all like it…very happy…makes the writing that little bit easier!

Sam-453:  Yay you updated!  See…my warning works, dunnit?  Ok…Xander Junior not very good name…but I am going to have tons of problems with naming my kids when I have them…so you should feel sorry for them!

Everyone who reviewed and asked about Sirius and Buffy:  Hmmm…still not gonna tell ya!  I've got TWO persons in mind for Buffy…not quite sure which one I'm deciding on…as for Charlie…he's reserved for another slayer…

Please review!!!

Chapter 4.

Buffy woke shortly before midday, excited about the prospect of arriving in England in a few hours.  She jumped out of bed, showering quickly and drying her hair magically.  She dressed in blue jeans and a cream vest top and almost ran down the stairs, where the girls and Dumbledore were waiting for her.

"We've called everyone; we've told them that it's an emergency meeting and their all meeting at the Hyperion right about now."  Willow informed, sipping some of her orange juice.

"Everyone?"  Buffy warned.

Willow rolled her eyes.  "Yes, everyone, even Spike."

"Good."

Tara looked at her watch and jumped up.  "We better hurry, we called about an hour ago, and they should all be there by now."  

Buffy nodded and removed herself from the kitchen table, draining her glass of apple juice and grabbing her duster that Spike had given to her three years ago.  It was an identical to the one he wore, and Buffy hardly took it off.  When Buffy had asked how he had got it, he had just grinned and remained silent.

It did not take them long to get to the Hyperion, it was only a few streets away from where the girls lived.  But it was quite a challenge hiding Dumbledore, for he looked very strange in his forget-me-not blue robe.  But they got there with only a few stares, and they entered the crowded lobby of the Hyperion where everyone was gathered, Buffy standing by the doorway, watching her beloved friends.

Xander and Anya were sitting on the sofa, three year old Sarah playing with Xander Junior's trucks by their feet.  Xander Junior was with Giles, rolling his eyes as Giles tried to explain what a Polgara Demon was.  

Wesley was with Gunn and Lorne by the desk, talking about the last demon they had killed.  Faith was talking to Spike, Spike grinning every once in a while as Faith made another threat to kill him.  Cordelia was polishing her nails opposite Giles and Xander Junior, making stupid comments every now and again, which caused Giles to roll his eyes at the brown haired girl.  Angel was talking to Fred.

None of them noticed when the four came in, so Dumbledore decided to gain everyone's attention.

"I have very bad news.  The world is going to end."  

There was silence, then:

"Again?"

"But I like this world."

"Who's the bloody wanker who's ending it now?"

"But I just got this really nice pink skirt-"

"Let me just get my books-"

Buffy giggled as people rushed around the room, Giles gathering his books and putting them on the table and Faith and Spike handing out weapons.  Cordelia was the only one who remained where she was, blowing on her nails.

"Everyone!  Calm down.  I am only joking, but it is reassuring to see you all preparing so quickly."  Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling more than usual.

"Dumbledore, how nice to see you again."  Wesley greeted, putting his bow and arrow back in the weapons box.  

Dumbledore smiled and everyone settled back down to where they were before, Buffy sitting next to Spike and Faith, ignoring Angel's wistful look.  

"So, what brings you to the wonderful city of Los Angeles?"  Xander asked, sitting Sarah down on his knee.

"A proposition for Buffy."

"Oh?"  Giles asked, and Buffy smiled at everyone, ready to tell them her news.

"Dumble-d wants me to go to England, to join the Order and fight against Voldemort.  I've said yes.  I leave tonight."

The room was silent and Buffy looked around the room at everyone's faces.  She hoped that everyone was ok with was she was going to do, but if they weren't she was still going to leave; she just wanted everyone's support. 

Spike was the first to voice his opinion, and he turned to Buffy, a sad look on his face.  He still loved her; he had ever since and even before he had been given the chip by the Initiative.  Buffy had never returned his love, but Spike was very dear to her, he was a very close friend.  "Well, I won't say no Buffy, but I'll miss you.  Won't be the same without the blonde slayer."  He said, half smiling at Buffy.  She smiled, squeezing his hand.  

"Good luck to you Buff, you need it in the land of tweed."  Xander said, grinning at Buffy.

Anya gave her opinion.  "Have fun Buffy, I wish you sun and lots of orgasms."  She said, not caring that her two children were near.  

"Oo, British guys.  I won't say no if Dumble-d asks me!"  Faith said, winking at Dumbledore.

"I imagine there is another motive to this decision."  Giles said, peering at Buffy behind his glasses.  "I imagine this has something to do with your family."

Buffy nodded.  "If I go to England, I'll hopefully see my old friends again.  Lily and James are dead, but Dumbledore says Harry's alive.  I want to see Lupin, Sirius and Peter again, if I can find them."  Buffy explained, her heart beating excitedly at the prospect of seeing the people she had been taken away from.  She loved her life here, and the people in it, but she was just aching to see her 'family'.

"Well, I hope you find them.  But do come and visit me, I will be going back to my house in Bath in September."  Giles said, a sad smile on his face.  He loved Buffy, as if she was his daughter, and it was sad to let her go.

"From Angel Investigations, we wish you plenty of demon butts to kick."  Cordelia chirped, tossing her brown hair over her shoulder.  

"And have lots of wild British sex."  Anya reminded, her hand on the small bump which was forming on her body.

"Thanks Anya."  Buffy grinned.  She looked expectantly at Angel, but he made no move to say anything, and after a few moments of uncomfortable silence, Cordelia coughed loudly.

"Right, we have to, uh, do that thing, we were going to do-" She said, screwing the cap on the nail polish bottle and dragging Wesley and Gunn out of the room.

"Yeah, we have to do that thing, remember?"  Willow added, gesturing for everyone to leave.  The room cleared and the only ones left were Angel and Buffy, Buffy sitting on the sofa and Angel a couple of metres away from each other.

The awkwardness was almost tangible, and Angel made an effort to avoid Buffy's gaze.  He looked anywhere but her, the floor, the door, the window, but when he had looked at everything in the room but Buffy, he realised he could not avoid this forever.  Buffy had similar ideas.

"Spill."  

"What?"

"Tell me what you think, Angel.  I want your opinion."

"Would you stay if I told you I did not want you to go?"

"No."

"So why do you want my opinion?"

Buffy sighed, staring intensely into Angel's dark eyes.  She loved his eyes; they told her everything about him-all the hurt, the pain and the suffering.  Angel had left after her graduation, and Buffy had tried to get over him, she had tried really hard.  She had dated Riley, and she thought she had fallen in love with him, but when he got that job from the military, she had not gone to the helicopter at midnight in an effort to stop him.  Xander had talked to her, told her to go, but she had known, deep down that she did not love Riley, she loved someone else.  Angel.

"I still love you, y'know."  Buffy whispered, but Angel heard her and he smiled hopefully.  "But we can't."  His face fell.  "You made a decision for us, remember?  You left.  _You _left.  Not me.  And I thought I could get over you, but I guess I couldn't.  Nine years later and I still love you.  But too much…shit has happened.  We can't, you know that.  I probably will never stop loving you, but I have given up on thinking that we can be together.  So why can't you?"

Angel made his way towards her, sitting on the coffee table opposite her.  He took her hands in his and squeezed them tightly.

"You were the best thing that happened to me Buffy.  I love you so much, and I don't want you to go.  But, I know you have to, so I'm not going to stop you.  I want the best for you, just like I did nine years ago.  I know we can't be together, but it can't hurt in hoping, can it?"  Angel looked deep into her eyes, and before Buffy knew what she was doing, she leant forward and kissed him lightly on the lips.  He was still for a moment, but he got over his shock quickly and he was kissing her back, with so much longing that Buffy inwardly gasped.  At the touch of his lips against hers, she felt as if she was seventeen years old again, kissing the man she loved.  She felt ready to give in, the feelings that she thought had been buried resurfaced and she felt herself melt into Angel's hold.

But before she could get herself too involved, a cough interrupted them, and the pair pulled apart, Buffy jumping away from Angel like a caught teenager.  She did not look at Angel, and did not see the hurt look in his eyes.

"Buffy, we should get going.  If you would like to say your goodbyes…" 

Buffy nodded at Dumbledore and stood, moving away from Angel.  The others came out, and Buffy hugged them all.  Goodbye's were exchanged, kisses and hugs were given and tears were shed.  Before long, she had said good bye to everyone, and Willow, Tara, Buffy and Dumbledore stood at the door of the Hyperion.  

"I'll see you guys soon, I promise!"  Buffy cried.

"Bye!"  They all chorused, and with one last look at Angel, Buffy exited the Hyperion, her three friends following her.

OK…this is not a Buffy/Angel pairing…I repeat again…they are meant for each other…but not in this story…k?

Sorry for the short chapter…things should be getting longer soon.  Next stop…the Order.  And you'll also find out why Joyce and Hank got Buffy…I know a few of you have wanted to know.

Please review!


	5. The Order of the Phoenix

I'm feeling very nice today, so I'm going to let you all have an early update, as Fanfiction.net is going to be down later today and tomorrow.

So…this is the one!  The one where Buffy goes to the Order!  I hope you all like it…it's longer than my last chapters.  

Characterization of Cordelia in my last chapter was off I know, but I actually do not watch Angel, so I did not realise she was not a bimbo any more.  I'm sorry for how I wrote her, and if I'm bringing her into the story more (which I'm probably not) I'll make her deeper…k?

Catlimere:  I am not going to tell anyone about the pairing until it actually happens, and I think it'll be a while yet.  You'll just have to wait and see.  Thanks for reviewing!

Just a reminder, Buffy does NOT know about Peter's betrayal, Sirius' death and Azkaban, Harry's adventures and the prophecy, she doesn't know anything that is related to her family and friends, k?

Thanks for all your reviews!  

Chapter 5.

Buffy hated the way she had left things with Angel, but she couldn't go back and talk about it, she had not enough time.  She carefully packed everything in her two suitcases, her clothes, and weapons, everything she held dear.  Soon, her room was almost bare, everything she could not fight would be sent over to England, including more weapons and training equipment.  Buffy paused as she put a picture in her suitcase.  It was of her mother, Willow and Xander, taken after she returned from Los Angeles after she killed Angel.  She smiled, stroking the face of her mother with her thumb.  She loved Joyce, and she still remembered the day when she found her on the sofa, dead.  That was one of the worst memories of her life.  

Hank Summers, her 'father' was connected to the Watcher's Council, his brother was a Watcher and had died two years before Buffy was taken from her family.  The Council wanted Buffy to be brought up in a normal environment, they wanted the magic to be squashed out of her and by putting her with two muggle people, they thought they had.

*Flashback* Sixteen years ago, 27th December, 1981.

"Move."  A Watcher ordered, and Buffy felt herself being pushed roughly in the back.  She stumbled forward, but caught herself before she landed on the floor.  She sniffed, walking at a faster pace as the Watcher's increased their speed.  She was sandwiched between two Watchers, who both had strong grips on her shoulders.

"Where are we going?"  She asked, trying to sound confident but ended up sounding meek.

"We're going to meet your new family, kid."  The Watcher on the left said, smiling down at her.  He was the nicest, he had let her play cards during the long flight and had given her things to eat and drink when she was hungry and thirsty.

"But why can't I go back to Lily?"  Buffy whined.

The Watcher on the right growled and leant down close to the young girl.  "We have already explained this, Miss Evans.  Now shut up and keep on walking."  Buffy obliged and the pace quickened.  The group made their way out of Los Angeles airport and into the sunshine, where two people were waiting.

The woman had curly dirty blonde hair and a nice, friendly smile on her face.  She was dressed in a smart suit and held a teddy bear and a multi-coloured lollipop.  The man next to her was large and dressed in a sharp suit, a frown on his young face.  He rolled his eyes as the woman sighed happily at seeing Buffy, and came forward to meet Quentin Travers, shaking his hand with a nod.

"Nice to see you again."  He said in a gruff voice.

"This is the girl."  Travers sneered, motioning for Buffy to move forward.  She did and stood in front of the couple, her arms folded across her chest.

"Hello Buffy."  The woman said cheerfully, holding out the teddy bear and lollipop to her.  "This is for you."

Buffy eyed the gifts with distaste.  "I'm not a child."  She said bluntly, pushing the gifts away from her.

"Miss Evans, this is Joyce Summers and Hank Summers.  They will be taking care of you from now on.  You are allowed no contact from your family or friends, you are not to talk of this 'magic' again, and you will think of yourself as Buffy Anne Summers.  Yes?"  Travers reeled off the instructions, but Buffy hardly heard him.  She answered yes, when he asked the question, and spoke in a monotone voice, her face devoid of emotion.

This was going to be her life from now on.  With the Summer's family.  She was never going to see her real family again.

End Flashback.

Buffy had hardly spoken a word to her new 'parents' for two weeks.  She did everything they told her to do, but she had done it like a robot.  But, after two weeks of silence, Joyce had finally sat her down and they had talked.  Buffy had told her everything, her childhood, Hogwarts, her family, and the day she was taken.  Joyce had listened with an open ear and a kind heart, and after Buffy was finished, Joyce had hugged her gently, whispering reassuring words in her ear.  After that, Joyce and Buffy had been virtually inseparable.  

A tear dropped on the face of her mother, and Buffy wiped it away, a small smile on her face.

"I love you mom."

***

Buffy skipped down the stairs, her suitcases banging against her legs as she landed on the ground.  She grinned at her friends, and Willow could not help but smile back.  She had never seen Buffy so happy in a long time, this was truly a good thing and even though she would miss her best friend, she was very happy for her.

"Are you ready my dear?"  Dumbledore asked, taking one of the suitcases even though Buffy could carry them easily…hello, Slayer strength?

Buffy nodded and dropped her suitcase on the ground, embracing Tara into a bone-crushing hug.

"I'll miss you."  Tara whispered into her ear.

"Likewise."  Buffy said, looking into her eyes.  "You take care of Willow, 'k?  Or I might have to come back and beat your ass up."

Tara giggled, nodding shyly as she looked back to the red head.  "She's a keeper."

Buffy grinned, and removed herself from Tara's hold, embracing Willow.

"Don't you die on me now." Willow choked. "Dying once is one too many, I don't want to lose you."  

"I'll owl you as soon as I can, 'k Will?"  

Willow nodded, wiping her eyes with the sleeve of her shirt.  "Love you."  

"Love you too."  

"Buffy, we should get going."  Dumbledore said, pulling out of his robe an old book.

Buffy picked up her suitcase and smiled at her two friends.  She stood next to Dumbledore and he held out the book to her.

"Do not let go of this book, and make sure you have a tight hold of your belongings." He instructed, taking out a small golden pocket watch.  "Three…two…one…"

Smiling at her friends, she gave a small wave as she felt a small tug under her navel.  Her surroundings went black and she felt like she was moving, wind rushing through her blonde hair.  She remembered Dumbledore's instructions and she held on to her suitcase tighter.

Without warning that they were going to, Buffy felt her feet touch the ground and she fell on to the floor, her suitcase falling onto the ground.  Growling, she looked up to the still standing wizard, who had a rather smug face.

"Oh, shut up."  Buffy said, irritably.

"I did not say anything."  Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling in the dark.

"I was saying it in advance."  Buffy flipped onto her feet and smirked at Dumbledore.

"Show off."  He muttered.

Buffy grinned and looked around her.  They were in a street, the light coming from the setting sun in the sky, casting a purple glow over the street.  She collected her suitcase and followed Dumbledore wordlessly down the street, turning right and onto another street, this time lit by streetlights.  Dumbledore took out a small object from his pocket and held it up in the air, clicking it multiple times.  At each click, the lights from the street lamps where collected into the object, and Buffy watched in fascination as the light seemed to fly to Dumbledore.  Smiling at Buffy's reaction, he put the object back in his pocket and took out a small piece of paper, giving it to Buffy.  They continued down the street, stopping opposite two dirty houses, a small gap separating them.  On one side, there was a number 11, and on the other side, a number 13.  

"Take a look at the paper.  Memorise what you are reading and think about it carefully."

Buffy obliged at looked at the paper.

_12 Grimmauld Place___

_London__._

She did what Dumbledore instructed and thought about the words carefully, and before her eyes, a house, identical to the ones of either side had squeezed in the gap, separating the houses further and settling normally in the middle.

"Wicked cool."  Buffy exclaimed, years of spending time with Faith rubbing onto her.

"I'm glad you like it my dear.  This will be your home for a while, until you chose to move somewhere else."  

Buffy nodded, the house was dirty with black windows and gloomy walls.  She just hoped it looked better inside.

It didn't.  It was cleaner, but the hall was dark and gloomy, the only light was from a dusty chandelier on the ceiling.

Buffy put her suitcase next to where Dumbledore had put her other one and followed him through the hall and down a stone staircase.

"You shall hopefully be meeting some of the Order members now, they used to work with Lily and James, and you may recognise a few of them." 

Buffy almost jumped for joy at the mention of people knowing her family, but she continued on, her smile growing larger and larger by the second.

Dumbledore smiled to himself, his secret was well kept.  Buffy did not know that Harry was still alive, and she did not know that she would be meeting an old friend in a matter of moments.  But she also did not know about the situation with Harry, the death of Sirius or the betrayal of Peter.  Dumbledore had always left the things that connected to her out of the explaining.

They came to a door, voices coming from it.  Dumbledore pushed the door open and the voices stopped, loud shushing coming from behind it.  Smiling back to Buffy encouragingly, he walked through, Buffy following.

It was a crowded room, a table in the middle and people clustered around it.  Kitchen stoves and cabinets cluttered the walls pots and pans hung from knobs.  

There were a lot of red heads around the table, one pink haired woman, one man with a bowler hat, a man with a bottle in his hand and a young girl, no more than sixteen with bushy brown hair.

"Everyone, I would like you to meet Buffy Summers, the woman I have been telling you all about."  There were nods at Buffy as Dumbledore said this, and she smiled nervously.

"This is Alastor Moody, Tonks, Fletcher Mundungus, , Hermione Granger, Ron, Ginny, Fred, George, Bill, Charlie, Molly and Arthur Weasley."  Dumbledore introduced, gesturing to the different faces.

"Hello."  Buffy said as politely as she could, while trying to memorise all the names and faces.

"Welcome to England dear."  Molly Weasley said, bustling up to Buffy, a large friendly smile on her face.

"Thank you."  Buffy said, a frown on her face.  "Weasley, is it?"  Molly nodded.  "That feels strangely familiar."  She said, grinning at the friendly woman.  

"Yes, and the name Buffy rings a bell also."  Molly added.  "Do you-"

Before Molly could finish her sentence, the kitchen door opened and a man came in, a sheepish smile on his face.  His light brown hair was flecked with grey, and he looked tired and weary, but he seemed quite young.  His robes were old and battered.

"Sorry Albus, I was up in my room, I forgot the time."

Dumbledore smiled.  "Do not worry; I have somebody for you to meet."

Buffy turned to the man and smiled.  "Hi I'm-"

"Buffy."  The man choked.  "Buffy Evans.  Dear god, it's you."

Please review!


	6. Remus and Reunions

Hehehe…I love cliff-hangers.  It was very amusing to read everyone tell me that I was evil…but I'm being nice today and updating quickly.  Hopefully the next chapter will be up soon as well.

I personally do not like this chapter…I had loads of stuff for it but in the end, I could not write it all down the way I wanted, so this chapter in my opinion sucked.  If I have time, I will rewrite it in a way that I think is better…but for now, this is it.

Sam-453:  Update.  Now.  That is an order.

Please review!

Chapter 6.

Previously: (AN// I feel like saying: 'Previously on Buffy the Vampire Slayer' in Giles' voice)

Before Molly could finish her sentence, the kitchen door opened and a man came in, a sheepish smile on his face.  His light brown hair was flecked with grey, and he looked tired and weary, but he seemed quite young.  His robes were grey and battered.

"Sorry Albus, I was up in my room, I forgot the time."

Dumbledore smiled.  "Do not worry; I have somebody for you to meet."

Buffy turned to the man and smiled.  "Hi I'm-"

"Buffy."  The man choked.  "Buffy Evans.  Dear god, it's you."

____

Buffy stared at the man, dumbstruck.  He stared at her, a smile growing on his face at each passing second.  "What."  She whispered, a lump in her throat.

"Buffy Evans.  Do you remember me, my name is-"

"Remus." Buffy finished, her hand flying to her mouth.  Remus' smile grew even more, and before he realised what was happening, Buffy had flown into his arms, embracing him tightly.  Remus grinned even more and wrapped his arms firmly around Buffy's tiny frame as if he would never let go.

"I thought I'd never see you again."  Remus whispered in her ear, and Buffy felt tears running down her cheeks.  She had been waiting for this for many years, and here, it was happening so suddenly.  

"I've missed you so much, so much."  Buffy choked, her head buried into his robes.  

Remus held her at arms length and wiped her cheeks with a tissue.  He looked at her with a friendly smile, stroking her cheek with his thumb.  "You've grown, so…"He looked her up and down.  "Little."  He finished, and Buffy giggled, swatting his arm playfully, but Lupin winced.

"And you're so…"

"Old?"  Lupin completed, laughing.  "We haven't seen each other for fifteen years, I have changed a lot.  And so have you, I presume."  Buffy nodded.

"We have _so _much to catch up on."  Buffy said.

"Before you do that," Dumbledore interrupted, a twinkle in his eye, "would you like to fill them in on the details?"  

Buffy grinned, and Remus put his arm around her protectively, as if he would never let her go. "This is Lily Evans little sister, Buffy."

"That's impossible."  The girl with the bushy hair said, earning a glare from one of the older red heads.

"It is possible."  He said, smiling at Buffy, and she felt a twinge of familiarity.  "It's possible because she was in my year at Hogwarts."  He stood up from his chair, running a hand through his hair, which had black patches on it.  His robes had many burnt patches and his boots were caked with mud.  "Charlie Weasley.  I was in Gryffindor with you."  He said, thrusting his hand to her.  

"Of course!  I remember you!"  Buffy exclaimed, hugging him, not noticing that he was completely shocked.

"Wait a minute."  A voice behind Charlie exclaimed.  Buffy pulled out of the hug, a sheepish grin on her face, which was returned by a smirk.  "So are you saying that you knew about this, and you never told us?"  The smallest red headed boy asked, astonished.

Charlie shrugged.  "Yeah."

The boy seemed put out and he leant back in his chair.  "Oh." 

The bushy haired girl spoke again.  "But it does not say anything about her in books."

"You and your bloody books."  The red head said, smirking at the girl.

"Ron!  Don't swear!"  Molly Weasley and the bushy haired girl chorused.  Ron scowled and sat back in his chair, his arms crossed across his chest.

"Honestly, I am her little sister."  Buffy said, smiling. 

"She could be a Death Eater!"  Hermione shouted, pointing to Buffy, her eyes blazing.  "She can't be an Evans!"  

Dumbledore stepped forward and put a hand on Hermione's shoulder, causing her to flush a dark red.

"My dear, however hard it is to believe, Buffy is Lily's Evans sister."  He said calmly, smiling at Buffy.  But she just glared at him as she realised everything and strode forward.

"You knew that Lupin was here!"  Buffy accused, her finger prodding Dumbledore's chest.  "You set me up, asking me to come here!  You could have done this a long time ago!  Why now?"  Buffy glared at him fiercely, but Dumbledore's eyes kept on twinkling brightly.

"I had to wait for the right moment, I could not tell you the moment I met you, could I?  You weren't ready, circumstances here were not agreeable for your arrival.  Trust me, Buffy; it is better the way I thought it."  Dumbledore explained.

Buffy scowled, and pressed her finger in harder into his chest.  "You are _so lucky I do not kill humans."  With that, she threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly.  "Thank you."  She whispered, a tear running down her cheek._

Lupin watched their interaction closely, and he realised that Dumbledore had been keeping a secret for a long time.  "So you knew that she was alive?"  Lupin growled, it was his turn to have a go at Dumbledore.  "But you did not say anything?  After we all thought she was dead?"

"Lupin, I met Buffy nine months ago, after an unfortunate incident with a demon.  She remembered me from her little time at Hogwarts, and we stayed in touch.  She did not even know Lily and James were dead until I told her."  

Lupin looked to Buffy and she bent her head, a shiny tear drop falling onto the dirty floor.  Lupin's heart immediately went out to her and he went to her, comforting her.

"I didn't even know.  For fifteen years I thought they were alive.  Stupid council with their _fucking rules."  She choked, wiping her eyes with her sleeve and smiling weakly up to Lupin._

"The council?"  He questioned.

Buffy nodded.  "Kidnapping me from you was not all a waste.  I'm the slayer."  There was a collective gasp and Buffy grinned, she loved telling people that she was a slayer.  She was still upset about the loss of her sister, but less so, now that she had Lupin.  "Oldest and longest slayer in history."  She said proudly.  "Even got a dagger for it."  She took out her special dagger from its special holder around her calf and flipped it in the air, catching it between her hands.  

"Bloody hell."

"Ron!"

Lupin grinned, stroking a strand of hair back from Buffy's face.  "So all that wasn't for nothing."  

Buffy looked round the room, beaming faces shining up to her, but something was missing.  Actually, someone was missing, two someones.

"Where are Peter and Sirius?"  She asked cheerfully.  Lupin's face fell, and her eyebrow's narrowed.  "Lupin?"  She asked.  He did not answer, only shook his head.  "Remus?  What aren't you telling me?"  

"I'm sorry Buffy."  Lupin started, looking up to Buffy, his brown eyes looking with her emerald ones.  "Peter betrayed us.  He is a Death Eater."  

Buffy sank into a chair, her mouth covered with her hand.  "No, that can't be true."  She protested weakly, but Lupin shook his head.

"He was the one who told Voldemort where Lily and James were.  He betrayed them."  

"But…he was so…nice."  Buffy said weakly, a lump forming in her throat.   Peter had not been her favourite Marauder, in fact, he was her least, but he was still a nice man, someone who Buffy knew and loved when she was a child.  The thought of him being evil was completely strange to her, and she knew it was going to take some getting used to.  She swallowed, the lump in her throat not going away, but growing as she opened her mouth to ask her next question.  "And Sirius?"  She croaked.

"Dead."  Lupin responded, a far away look on his face.  His tone was completely devoid of emotion, and it looked as if he was trying not to show his true feelings.  "He died a month ago, there was no body."  Buffy gasped, tears forming in her eyes again.  But none of them fell as she tried to hold them back.  She should have expected this.  Dumbledore had told her about Voldemort and the war, how could she not have expected this?  In wars, people died, it harsh but true.  Sirius had been a brave, gallant fighter, and she knew he would have died proud.  

But that was no comfort to her, as she thought of him.  No body, how could there be no body?  Was he trapped somewhere then?  Was he in hell or heaven?  Was he feeling pain, or was he in peace?  She found that she did not want to know the details, everything was happening too fast.  

Buffy pushed her thoughts back and she looked up to Lupin, who was watching her carefully.  In fact, they all were, and Hermione had gotten a sad look on her face, she believed her now.  Buffy forced a smile and stood up, facing Lupin.

"Where's my nephew?"

Short chapter I know…

Did it suck?  'cos I think it did…comments will be greatly appreciated.

Next chapter:  Lupin and Buffy spend quality time together…(not in a romantic way!)


	7. Lupin's Failure

Oo, quick update!  I don't know if the word 'bonding' describes what happens in this chapter, you can call whatever you want.

Thank you so much for all your reviews and for saying it didn't suck.  It hasn't changed my mind though…

Next chapter-we actually meet Harry…and the Dursleys.  Oo the funness.  See, the next chapter is the one I actually like; I think it's my favourite chapter so far.  This one is just cute, or sad, whatever you want to call it.

Does anyone actually read these things?  I could just be talking to myself here…I've done that before actually, but that is not a story for today.  Just ask Sam-453 about it and she'll tell you, she actually witnessed me talking to myself.

Please review!

Chapter 7.

"Where's my nephew?"  Buffy asked, looking expectantly at Dumbledore.  But it was Ron who answered.

"He's with his family."  Ron said.  Buffy turned to him, confused.

"His family?  He doesn't have any family besides…shit."  She swore as she realised where her nephew was.

"Buffy, before you say anything-"

"You put her with that bitch!"  Buffy interrupted Dumbledore, her eyebrow's raised.  "She hates magic!  I was her favourite sister when we were younger, and the moment I got the letter, she acted as if I didn't exist!"  She shouted angrily.

Dumbledore put his hands on Buffy's shoulders in an effort to calm her down, but to no avail.  Buffy's eyes were blazing with anger, her lips were pursed and her hands were gesturing madly around her as she rambled on about how much she hated her sister.

"Is she raving mad?"  Ron whispered to Hermione, both pairs of eyes fixed on the slayer.

"When I know, I'll tell you." Hermione replied.

"Buffy."  Dumbledore interrupted, gaining the blonde's attention at last.  "With James and Lily gone, Sirius in Azkaban (Dumbledore silenced her with a look when he mentioned Sirius in Azkaban) and you disappeared somewhere, there was no relative or legal guardian to take care of Harry instead of Petunia."  He reasoned.

"Have you ever met my sister?"  Buffy asked, her eyebrows rose high into her forehead.  

"I have."  George piped up, grinning at the blonde.

"It was a fun experience."  Fred added. 

"Amusing-"

"Interesting-"

"That Dudley-"

"Great boy-"

"A pig-"

"But a nice boy."  Fred finished, grinning up at the blonde who, through the entire time the twins had been talking, had been looking at one, and then the other as if watching a tennis match.

"Oh my god, its Tweedledum and Tweedledee."

The only person who laughed was Hermione; the rest of the occupants of the room looked only confused.  

"Buffy, the point is," Dumbledore said, dismissing the subject with a wave of his hand, not before he winked at the twins.  "He is at your 'beloved' sister's house.  Now what do you want to do about it?" Dumbledore asked, his eyes twinkling.

Buffy grinned, her eyes glinting and she put on her 'slaying' face, the one that would scare the un-living daylights out of a vampire.  To everyone else in the room, they thought she looked manic, like an insane murderer, but to Dumbledore, who knew her very well, he knew that she meant business.

"I think it's time I pay a visit to my sister."

***

Ron, Hermione, Ginny and the twins had shown Buffy to her room, bombarding her with questions on the way.  Buffy tried to answer as much as she could, but soon got exasperated and told them that she would explain everything later.  After she got her nephew back.

Dumbledore had insisted that she wait for him to call in some more Aurors, for operation 'Rescue Potter'.  Buffy had just shrugged, gave Lupin a look to tell him to follow her upstairs, and she left with the teenagers.

Buffy's room was quite large, a white four poster bed in the middle, with a chest at the foot of the bed.  The walls were black, the floor was black, and the furniture was black.  Everything was black.  It bugged the hell out of Buffy, but she was sure Dracula would like it here.

She unlocked her suitcase and decided to get changed; she would have to look good for seeing her sister.  She hadn't thought about Petunia for a long time, her favourite sister had always been Lily, and always would be, but Petunia was very important to her, even now.  Petunia was a bitch for shunning Buffy like that, but deep down, way down, Buffy still loved her.  And she was actually looking forward to this visit.  Besides, she wanted to see Harry.

When Dumbledore had explained the situation about Voldemort and the wizarding world, he had left out the fact that Voldemort had tried to kill Harry many, many times.  

Buffy selected her black leather trousers and a red tight shirt.  She stepped out of the trousers she was already wearing and pulled on the leather trousers, groaning as she spotted some vampire dust on the front.  After dusting it off, she pulled her top over her head and the bedroom door opened.

"Buffy I," Lupin began, his head peering round the door.  But when he saw Buffy in her bra and trousers, he turned the same shade of red as the colour of the Weasley's hair.  He slipped out of the door faster than lighting, pulling the door shut behind him.  Giggling, Buffy pulled on her red shirt and opened the door, revealing a very embarrassed Lupin.  He grinned sheepishly, trying desperately to keep his eyes on her face, but every so often, they would flit down to her chest and then go back up.

Grinning, Buffy opened the door for him, and Lupin stepped in, his hands folded in front of him.  He stayed in front of the wardrobe next to door, looking often at the closed door, as if he was contemplating escape.

"I won't bite you know." Buffy joked, and Lupin's eyes looked up to hers.  

"I-I-I know."  He stuttered, the tips of his ears scarlet.  "B-but, its j-just you've, uh…"He trailed off, his gaze returning to the door.

"I thought you said I hadn't grown."  Buffy teased, and Lupin spluttered.

"Yes, well, in, uh, _that department, you have uh…"_

"Blossomed?"

Lupin snorted, now his face was purple.  Buffy grinned, her eyes darting all over his face, trying to memorize it.  She had not realised how much she had missed this man.

"Haven't been around girls that much have you?"

"No."  Lupin grinned, his face slowly returning to his natural colour.  "It was Sirius and James all the girls were interested in, not me."  

Buffy smiled, remembering all the stories Sirius had told her about the many 'admirers' he and James had had.

"I'm glad your back."  Lupin said seriously, his eyes meeting hers.  Buffy nodded, advancing forward and throwing her arms around him, feeling his strong ones wrap around her waist.  

"Me too."  Buffy whispered into his robes, her eyes fluttering closed.  She felt so comfortable, with Lupin stroking her hair softly, her head on his shoulder as they had somehow ended up on the sofa, opposite the roaring fire.  Her mind went back to sixteen years ago, when Lupin and Buffy had been the last to go to bed on Christmas Eve.  They had sat on the couch, opposite the fire, with Buffy's head on his lap, quietly enjoying each other's company.  This was exactly like that.

"What happened to you?"  Lupin asked quietly, after quite some time.  

Buffy sighed softly, nuzzling her head into his shoulder, as if she was a cat.

"Can we talk about this later."  She responded, it wasn't really a question, more of a statement, and Buffy felt Lupin breath in deeply.

Lupin gazed down at the young girl, whose head was nuzzled in his shoulder.  She was not the young girl anymore; she had 'blossomed' into a mature, beautiful woman.  But in Lupin's eyes, he still saw her as Lily's little sister, the one who would bother Lupin and ask to play with her.  Buffy Rose Evans had been a playful, energetic girl who Lupin loved as a sister.  To him, Buffy Anne Summers was not at all different.  She had matured, she seemed less energetic, and she had a look in her eyes that told him that she had seen more in the world then what could be imagined.  

Lupin just wished that he could have saved her.  He remembered Christmas Day as if it was yesterday, he remembered the fun and the laughter, and he remembered the screams and Lily's heartbreaking sobs for hours afterwards.

***Flashback*** August 31st, a month after Harry is born.

Lupin sat in the circular living room in his parent's house, Sirius and Peter seated either side of him, Lily and James opposite.  Lily's hands were in James', James squeezing it occasionally.

"What's wrong Lily?"  Remus asked, his brows furrowed.

"Lily has to ask you something."  James explained.  "It's very important."

Lily nodded, and she looked straight at the three men.  "It's about Buffy."

"Is she all right?"  Sirius asked worriedly, and Lupin smiled secretly to himself.  

"She's fine."  Lily said.  "For now."

"What do you mean Lils?"

Lily sighed, and looked for encouragement at James.  Having received it, she explained.  "If something happens to me, or James for that matter, I need someone to look after Buffy."

Sirius and Remus exchanged glances. "How do you mean?"  Sirius asked.

"If Voldemort," Remus felt Peter stiffen beside him, but paid no notice. "Kills us, I need someone to look after Buffy."

The boys were silent for a while.  It seemed so dreadful, so real talking about Lily and James' death like this.  The boys knew that Voldemort was after the couple, but it all seemed so real when they said it.  Sirius was having quite a hard time with accepting the fact that they were targets, and so he would not allow anyone to talk about it.

"Don't talk like that Lils; nothing is going to happen to you."  Sirius responded, trying to push away the subject.

"Sirius, what happens if something does?"  Lily hissed, and Sirius stiffened.  "Buffy will have no where to go, with mother and father dead, and Petunia not speaking to us, Buffy will have no family left."  Lily's eyes were shining with tears now and she held on tighter to James' hand. "If James and I die, I want one of you to take Buffy in."  

Lupin nodded.  "Who is supposed to do it?"

"Would you mind Remus?"  Lily asked, and Lupin felt shocked.  Him?  Of all people?  He was hardly the fatherly type; he was not prepared for such a responsibility.  "Please think about it."  Lily pleaded desperately. "You're the most responsible one, and I know you'll look after Buffy.  OK, you're a werewolf, but it's not all the time, soon, three days of the month Buffy's will not be so much fun to be around either."  Lupin smiled.  

"Why not me?"  Sirius asked, put out.  

"Because as Harry's godfather, we want him to live with you."  James explained, and Sirius grinned happily.

"Me?  Really?"  He asked proudly.

"Yes, you.  Our first choice of guardian for Harry is Buffy of course, but if she's not old enough, then Harry will go to you."  Lily explained.  

"I'll do it."  Lupin blurted.  

Lily's smile grew and she jumped up and kissed Lupin on the cheek.

"Thank you.  Please look after her for me."

***

Lupin had failed Lily.  He had let the Watcher's take Buffy, and had not done enough to stop them.  

"I want to know what happened, Buff."  He said, "But if you don't want to talk about it now, then that's fine with me.  When you do, I'll be waiting."

Buffy smiled and kissed him on the cheek.  "Thank you."

The pair resumed back to what they were doing before, in silence, both enjoying the calm until Ginny knocked on the door and said that everyone was here, and it was time to go.

That was a long ramble at the top there wasn't it?  Hmm…

Please review!


	8. Rescue mission: Harry Potter

Disclaimer:  Check chapter 1.

Quickie update again…and lookie!  Long chapter!  9 pages…longest I've done so far.

Hinomi:  Slightly worried now…but please don't do anything to me with sharp objects!  I've updated really quickly see?!  

Laura:  You kinda know me now…so u should have no problem with review…right?  

Miss Kayl:  No worries…definitely not a B/L.  I admit…way to wiggy.  And as for the Vernon beating up thing…wait and see.  

Malli:  I'm bringing Sirius, and I'm in the process of writing it so it should not be that far away…if I'm right, about chapter 11 you'll see Sirius.  

For all of you who have been waiting for a Petunia/Buffy meeting…I'll hope you'll be satisfied and pleasantly surprised with the way it comes out.  I had a lot of fun writing this chapter and it is without a doubt my favourite so far.

Thanks for all your reviews and please review!

Chapter 8.

Buffy and Lupin arrived in the kitchen shortly after Ginny had called them, Buffy armed with a stake and dagger even though she knew she probably would not use it.  The kitchen was filled, people crammed into every available space possible.  Buffy only recognised the people who were in the room before, even though she had not talked to Tonks, Moody and Fletcher.  The first person to approach her though was an old woman with black hair pulled back into a tight bun.  Her lips were thin she looked as if she had been sucking a lemon, and her lips had stuck that way. Her face was stern and her robes were spotless.

"Miss Evans."  She said in a firm Scottish accent.  "Where on earth have you been these years?"

Buffy grinned, and she swore that the woman smiled back. "In America Professor.  I'm afraid I don't have my Transfiguration homework."

"Is that your excuse?  I have heard much better from you, Miss Evans."  Her face was serious for a moment, but then a true smile broke her stern face and she engulfed a surprised Buffy in a hug.  "Welcome back Buffy."  She said.

"Thank you Professor McGonagall, I'm surprised you remember me."

"Of course I do, I think, besides the twins, Harry Potter and his friends and the Marauders, no other students gave me as much trouble as you and Charlie did."  

"We were pretty good weren't we?"  Charlie added, walking over to Buffy.

"You both gave me very good exercise, running up and down the castle like that." Mc Gonagall replied, and Buffy smirked.

"Charlie could hardly keep up with me."

Charlie crossed his arms against his chest, towering above Buffy.  "I wasn't the one who had potential slayer speed.  Besides, all the pranks and jokes were thought up by Buffy, so it did not matter if Mc Gonagall caught me."  Charlie defended, running a hand through his burnt hair.

"Excuse me."  A snooty voice interrupted them, and Buffy did a double take.  The man had long black greasy hair, his skin was white and he was wearing a large black robe.  "We are leaving now."  He continued, eyeing Buffy with distaste.  Behind her, Buffy could hear a growl from Lupin.

"Oh my god it's Dracula."  Buffy blurted out, and the man raised his eyebrow.  

"Excuse me."  He repeated, but he asked it as a question.  

The room, which had been previously alive with noise, was silent; all eyes were on the man and Buffy.

"You're Dracula."  Buffy repeated. "But I swear I killed you seven years ago."

"You've met Dracula?"  The man asked, sounding as if he did not believe her.

"Oh yeah.  I was under his thrall and everything.  But I killed him.  He was an evil bastard.  I swear you look just like him."

The man snarled and he stepped closer to Buffy, towering above her.  She met his gaze challengingly, staring into his black eyes with a smirk on her face.

"You even dress like him."  Buffy continued, not caring about the death stare she was getting.  "Do you have the same stylist?"  She chirped.

The man growled, his nostrils flaring.  

"And do you have a hairdresser?"  She grimaced as she looked at his hair.  "Your hair is in serious need of a wash and blow dry."

Sniggers were heard around the room and the man looked as if he was going to kill her.  But before he could do anything, Dumbledore interrupted, the twinkle in his eye glowing brighter than ever.

"If everyone involved in the rescue mission would go outside please."  Dumbledore called, and Buffy smirked at the man one last time and turned on her heel, exiting the room quickly with Charlie and Lupin on her heels.

"Who was that guy?"  She asked once they were outside in the black night.

"Severus Snape.  I'm sure you remember James and Sirius joke about him?"  Lupin answered, ignoring Charlie who was almost doubled up with laughter.

Buffy grinned as she remembered, but she didn't say anything because the Dracula look alike had left the house with Dumbledore, an angry scowl on his face.  

It was not before long before all the wizards and witches had collected on the street.  The street lights were out as before and everyone was crowded round Dumbledore, wands in their hands.

Dumbledore sounded quite serious, and his face was stony as he told the information to the wizards and witches.  Apparently, Harry had not been sending any letters to his friends, even though Ron, Hermione and Lupin had tried many times; they had not received any replies.  

Buffy listened carefully, her whole attention was focused on Dumbledore, and so it was remarkable that Buffy caught the dagger that was aimed at her back.  There was a cry from the bushes opposite and two vampires jumped out, looking extremely angry.  

Buffy glared at the vampires, and Lupin who was next to her advanced forward with his wand but Buffy held him back.

"What the hell do you want?"  Buffy asked with the dagger still in her hands.

"Slayer."  One of them hissed, and Buffy rolled her eyes.

"Yeah?  What do you want?  I'm busy right now."  Buffy returned, walking forward to the two vampires, aware that everyone was watching her.

"We want you dead."  The vampire growled, and its partner lunged forward at Buffy, his arms outstretched.  Quick as a flash, Buffy whipped out her stake from her back pocket and staked it, the vampire dust flying away with the wind.

Buffy grinned at the other vampire, who looked astonished at how quickly his partner had gone.  "One down, one more to go."

Buffy punched the vampire and he stumbled backwards, before lunging forward and tackling Buffy to the ground.  She found herself on the cold floor, the vampire on top of her and she pushed him off, flipping up into a defensive stance.  The vampire attacked, trying to hit her but instead punching the air instead as Buffy dodged expertly.  She kicked him in the chest and he flew back, landing on the ground.  Striding up, to him, she twirled her stake in her hand and with a grin; she dropped down and staked him.

She brushed herself off, making sure she didn't have anymore dust on her clothes.  When she was satisfied, she walked back to the group and grinned at the astonished faces.

"So where were we Dumble-d?"

The old wizard grinned and he continued, Buffy listening carefully, but keeping her senses alert.

"I think that shall be all, please can everyone gather round."  Dumbledore said, holding out a long broom.  The ones going on the mission crowded round the broom, Buffy sandwiched between Lupin and Snape, an arrangement Snape did not feel too comfortable about.  Dumbledore stood back, smiling at Buffy.  In fact, not many of the wizards and witches who had been in the kitchen were going on the actual mission, the group consisted of Lupin, Charlie, Tonks, Moody, Snape, a man called Deladus Diggle and Buffy.

"In three…two…one…"

For the second time that evening, Buffy felt the sharp pull of the port-key and the group was transported to Privet Drive, Buffy landing ungracefully on the freshly cut lawn.

Snape smirked at her, and Buffy glared at him, flipping up just as she had done before.  Snape's face fell, and Buffy couldn't help but stick her tongue out at him, to which he raised an eyebrow. 

"Is everyone alright?"  Moody said in a gruff voice, and the group nodded.

"How are we going to get in there?"  Charlie asked, looking up to the house.  It was neatly kept, the house was painted a sparkling white, the windows were glinting in the moonlight and the garden was well kept.  In fact, all the houses were like that.  There was no difference in the houses in Privet Drive, and it annoyed Buffy to no end.  How could they tell their houses apart?  If someone switched the numbers, no one would know where to go!

"Can't we just ring the door bell?"  Buffy asked, getting her mind back to more pressing matters.

Snape smirked.  "It's two o'clock in the morning; I do not think they will appreciate that."

Buffy shrugged, grinning evilly at Snape.  "Tough."

She strode up the white door and pressed on the button, the bell ringing loudly in the house.  She waited a while, and when no one answered, she rang it again, but pressing her finger on the button for longer this time.  No one came.  She did again, but this time, doing it more frequently and at short intervals, ringing it to tune that sounded familiarly like 'Twinkle twinkle little star'.  

Finally, the upstairs room light switched on and Buffy pressed the button once more, with added pressure.  The button split from the wall, hanging in mid-air, wires attaching it to the wall.

"Oops."  Buffy said, smiling sheepishly at Lupin who only grinned in return.

The door opened, and light flooded onto the lawn.  In the doorway, stood a huge man in striped pyjamas.  His face was purple with rage, and it looked as if he was going to explode.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?"  He bellowed, pointing his finger rudely at Buffy.  "It's two o'clock in the morning!"  He glared at Buffy, and she smiled in return.

"Hi Vernon.  Mind if I come in?"  She asked cheerfully.

"Of course I do!"  He replied, terribly offended.  

"Tough."  She said, pushing past the fat man and entering the hall way.

"I have never encountered such a rude person!  Who the hell are you?"  He spat, following Buffy into the hallway.

"Vernon?"  A voice called, and a woman came down the stairs, a tired look on her face.  She was bony and tall, wearing her hair in rollers.  "What's going on?"

"Hello Pettie."  Buffy grinned, and Petunia gasped as she reached the floor.

"Buffy?"  She breathed, and Buffy nodded.

"In the flesh."  Buffy chirped.  "How have you been?"

Petunia opened her mouth, but words had seemed to escape her.  Her mouth was opening and closing like a goldfish and she her eyes were wide with shock.  "But…I thought…you were…"  She breathed, stopping as she reached the last word.

"Dead?"  Buffy supplied.  Petunia nodded hurriedly.  "Well, I'm not."  She returned.

"Mummy?"  

"Diddydums!"  Petunia said, ushering for the large fat boy to come down the stairs.  "Meet your aunt!"

Dudley walked down the stairs slowly, his eyes were half open and he had to feel his way down.  He had short brown hair, which was plastered to his face.  He looked extremely odd, for his body was too large for his head and Buffy had to stop herself from sniggering. 

"Hello Dudley."  Buffy said, and he looked up, his eyes wide as if he had never seen a girl before.  He looked her up and down, and he looked as if he had just set his eyes on something extremely tasty to eat.  "Down boy."  Buffy said, and behind her, Charlie chuckled.

"What are you doing here Buffy?"  Asked Petunia, putting a protective arm around Dudley.

"I've come to see my nephew."  Buffy informed, and Dudley grinned.  "Not you, my _other nephew."_

Petunia's face fell, and she tightened her grip on Dudley.  "Why?"  She asked, astonished to find that Buffy actually wanted to see Harry.

"I've come to take him away from here, to a friend."  Buffy said.  Petunia nodded wordlessly.  "Where is he?" 

"I'll go get him."  Vernon announced a broad grin on his face.  He was ecstatic to get rid of Harry.  "Where are the keys Petunia?"  Petunia pointed to a drawer.

Buffy frowned.  "Keys?  Why would you need keys?"

Vernon did not answer and rummaged around in a drawer opposite the stairs.  He laughed shortly when he found it, gazing at it as if it was his prized possession.

"Come on, we haven't got all day."  Snape growled, and Vernon faced him angrily, but shrieked when he saw the glare Snape was giving him.

"Yes…yes…right away."  Vernon muttered, hurrying up the stairs as fast as he could go, which was, admittedly, not fast at all.

"Why would he need keys?"  Buffy repeated, giving a cold stare at Petunia.

"We had some…trouble."  Petunia said quietly, and Buffy raised her eyebrow, not believing her eldest sister.

"Boy!"  Vernon's voice floated down the stairs.  "Get downstairs NOW!"

Buffy glared at Petunia again.  "Boy?  He has a name you know!"

"What's the matter Uncle Vernon?"  A tired, weak voice asked upstairs, and Buffy looked up the stairs, waiting for her nephew to come down.

"There's some of _your _kind downstairs."  Vernon spat, and Buffy heard Harry walk across the landing above her.  

And suddenly, he appeared, walking down the stairs, his glasses askew and his raven hair standing up.   Buffy gasped, he looked so much like James it was extraordinary.  He was wearing large blue jeans that had a large number of rips and holes in them, and a dirty t-shirt that looked as if it had been white, but was now a dirty brown, stained with mud and…blood?  Buffy had not noticed it before, as she was too taken aback by how much he looked like James, but his bare arms were covered in bruises, he had a large black eye that was covered by his large glasses, and he appeared to be limping.  He smiled weakly at Lupin, and Buffy could hear him gasp.  Harry's eyes were completely empty, soulless and he looked almost _dead.  His arms were like sticks, Buffy could see his outline of his rib cage because his shirt stuck to him in places.  His trousers were almost falling off his tiny waist and his shoes had holes in the soles.  It was a wonder he could walk.  _

Buffy clenched her fist, and before she could stop herself, she had Petunia pinned up against the wall, her hand against Petunia's long neck.

"What have you done to him?"  Buffy hissed, and Petunia winced in fear.

"Buffy…"  Warned Lupin, but Buffy ignored him, her eyes not leaving Petunia's, searching her for something.

"Get off my wife!"  Vernon yelled, rushing past Harry, but Buffy silenced him with a cold stare.  Vernon whimpered, Dudley echoing his.

"Look at him."  Buffy growled, "He looks like he hasn't eaten in days."

Dudley, being a stupid idiot, informed Buffy that Harry hadn't been fed a proper meal for nine days.  

"Nine days?"  Buffy asked disbelievingly.  "Nine bloody days!"  Petunia winced again and Buffy let her go, Petunia's skinny frame sinking to the floor.  "You make me sick."  Buffy spat.

"Buffy-"Petunia tried to say, but the blonde cut her off.

"He is your sister's son!"  Buffy yelled, pointing to Harry who was watching the scene with sick pleasure.  He loved the fact that this woman was telling off his aunt, but…who was she?

"He's one of _them._"  Vernon spat, casting a disgusted look back to Harry.

"So?  He is a human being!  He is your sister's son!  Don't you even care?  Do you have a heart?"  Buffy yelled, and Petunia cowered.  Buffy shook her head, a disgusted look on her face.  "You make me sick."  She repeated.

"Harry."  Lupin's voice rang out on in the silence.  "Go and get your things, we're leaving in ten minutes."  Harry nodded, and he hurried up the stairs, not before giving Buffy a gratified look.

Buffy stared at where Harry had been previously, and when she talked, her voice was soft, almost wistful.  "He doesn't know who I am, does he?"  

"No."  Petunia answered, standing up slowly, her legs trembling.  "I thought you were dead."

"Yet, you did not think to tell him he had _two aunts, not one."  Buffy replied coldly._

Petunia had no words to say, and she stood quietly, watching Buffy.  Eventually, Buffy got annoyed that she was looking at her and she glared at Petunia.

"What?"  Buffy spat.

Petunia smiled.  "You look like mother."  Buffy dropped the glare and smiled softly.

"You look like dad."  Buffy said, and the pair stood, gazing at each other, as if a connection had been established.  Before long, Harry came down the stairs lugging his trunk and broomstick behind him.  Charlie rushed up to help him, and the pair came down the stairs, Harry's gaze bouncing from Buffy, to Petunia, then back to Buffy.

"I'm glad you're back."  Petunia said quietly, and Buffy smiled.

"See you Pettie."  She said, quickly exciting the house, the rest of the group following her.

"Hurry up."  Lupin said, holding out the broom and looking at the pocket watch at the same time.  The group gathered round the broom, Buffy finding herself next to Harry, who looked up to, her, his green eyes, fixed on Buffy's identical ones.  "Three…two…one…"

Buffy felt the familiar tug, and she was transported to the street opposite numbers 11 and 13, once again, Buffy falling on the ground clumsily.  

"I'm never going to get the hang of this, am I?" Buffy muttered, and Lupin chuckled giving her his hand for her to get up.  Moody was at the door of the Order as they all thought of it, unlocking it with his wand.  The door opened, and the group piled in, Harry and Buffy last.

Harry opened his mouth to say something, but Lupin shook his head.

"Mrs Black has been giving us hell recently."  Lupin whispered, and Harry nodded.  The group proceeded down the hall, walking down the stairs and entering the busy kitchen.

"Harry!"  Hermione yelled, bouncing up to him and hugging him forcefully.

"Hermione…air…"Harry breathed, and Hermione grinned sheepishly.  Ron came up behind him, looking slightly apprehensive.

"We don't have to hug…do we?"  Ron asked.

"No."  Harry said, smiling softly, and Hermione gasped, but was silenced with a warning glance from Buffy.  She had obviously seen the look in Harry's eyes.

"Alright Harry?"  Fred asked, and Harry shrugged.

"So…how did you take it?"  George asked, and Harry looked confused.

"Take what?"  Buffy tried to catch George's eye, trying to tell him not to tell Harry, but George did not look her way.

"About Buffy."  Harry looked to the blonde, and she winced.  

"What about Buffy?"  Harry asked, looking from Buffy, then back to George.

"You know, Buffy is your aunt, Lily's sister."  George announced, and the kitchen fell silent.  Harry looked astonished, and he looked down to Buffy, his eyes wide.  "Oh, you didn't know…oops."  George said, with a sheepish grin.

Buffy smiled at Harry, and gave a small wave.  "It's…uh…true.  I'm your aunt."

Harry's eyes flew wide, his mouth hung open and he dropped his broomstick, the wood clattering to the floor.

Buffy smiled nervously, and not knowing what to say, she said the first thing that came into her mind.  "How you been?"

Oo…cliffie…hehe.

Please review!


	9. Reactions

Heya people!  I updated again!  As you can see…

dulaithlossword:  Hello!  That was so cool when I saw you had reviewed…I was like…I recognize the name!  Hehe..slightly hyper.  The suggestion you made about Gandalf and Dumbledore was cool…it gave me an idea.  It's not going to be a big idea, and Gandalf won't be in it for long, so thanks for giving me the idea!  Thanks for reviewing!

Totes_brot:  Huh?

Captinuv:  Try your second way…

Hmm…lots of people wanted Buffy to beat up Vernon!  Wow…bloodthirsty people we got here!  I thought Buffy beating him up would be a bit too much, but, I could always get them together and get Buffy to beat him up…ooh, new idea…

On with the chapter!

Chapter 9.

Harry continued to look at Buffy as if she had something on her face, and Buffy unconsciously patted her hair.

It looked as if Harry was going to say something, he opened his mouth, but then he shook his head and closed it again.

"Harry?"  Hermione asked nervously.

Harry nodded to Buffy.  "Nice to meet you."  He said, before sitting down at the table, not looking back to her.

The disappointment that Buffy felt must have showed on her face, for Lupin patted her shoulder reassuringly and gave her a smile.

The room resumed back to normal, everyone sat down at the table, even Snape who sat opposite Fred and George, an arrangement they did not feel all too comfortable about.  Buffy felt herself sitting opposite Harry, but his eyes were focused on the plate given to him.

Everyone helped themselves to the food Mrs Weasley had prepared, and before long, everyone was eating happily.  The conversation was split into little groups, the younger ones talking about some joke the Weasley twins had pulled, the two older brothers talking (and in Charlie's case, flirting) with Buffy.  The older adults were conversing quietly, Snape adding in a few sarcastic comments and looking as if he really did not want to be there.

"So Buffy, what happened after you left England?"  Tonks asked loudly, and the room had fallen relatively silent to hear, Harry locking gazes with Buffy.

"Um…nothing much."  Buffy lied.

Dumbledore chuckled.  "And that is the most ludicrous lie I have ever heard, Buffy."

"Well, I haven't done much Dumble-d."  Buffy argued, grinning when the room snickered at the nickname she had given him.

"Shall we list off the things you have done, my dear?"  Asked Dumbledore with amused eyes which was peering at her behind his half moon spectacles. Buffy shrugged and Dumbledore started.  "You have killed the oldest vampire ever lived, you have successfully defeated Dracula, you have averted eight apocalypses and you have made America one of the safest countries in the world, even though it is resident to the active hellmouth.  And that is not even the full story, she has done much more than what I have mentioned."

"I have averted nine apocalypses by the way," Buffy grinned, "But who's counting?"

"So you have been up to quite a lot."  Lupin said, gawping at Buffy.

"Why did you leave England anyway?"  Harry asked quietly, and Buffy looked at him.  His eyes were full of pain and sadness; it was not the empty ones she had seen before.

"I-I had no choice Harry.  I was kidnapped when I was eleven by the Watcher's Council, because I was a potential Slayer."  She explained, and Harry nodded.

He stabbed the piece of meat on his plate forcefully, gritting his teeth.  "So you have been gone…what…ten years?  More?"  Buffy said sixteen.  "Sixteen years you've been gone.  And you only decided to come back just now?"  He accused with a look of hatred on his face.

"Harry…"  Buffy started, but Harry pushed his chair back, glaring at her.

"Forget it."  He said coldly.  "Just forget it."  He glared at Buffy and then looked to Mrs Weasley, an apologetic look on his face.  "I'm sorry Mrs Weasley, I'm not hungry anymore.  Can I please leave the table?"  Mrs Weasley nodded, taken aback by Harry's outburst.  Harry glared once more at Buffy and strode out, slamming the door behind him.

***

Buffy knocked cautiously on the door of Harry's bedroom, and she heard someone moving inside it, towards her and the door opened, revealing the angry face of Harry Potter.  He glared at her.

"What do you want?"  He asked roughly, and Buffy raised her eyebrow at this rudeness.

"To talk."  Buffy replied, and Harry shrugged.

"What's there to talk about?  You're my sister's aunt.  You're back.  You want to get to know me some more.  That's it."  

"I got the feeling that you were uncomfortable about me."  Buffy said, and Harry glared coldly at her once more, and Buffy shifted her footing.

"If I had a problem with you, you would know."  Harry said vaguely.

"I'm kinda dumb…can you spell it out for me?  If you have a problem, can you at least talk to me about it?"  Buffy pleaded, and Harry's gaze softened a bit.

But he was still angry, and for why, Buffy had no idea.  "If I had a problem, I wouldn't tell you."  He spat, slamming the door in her face.  

That went well, Buffy thought.  What was his problem?  Buffy did not understand why she was bothering Harry so much, and it looked as if he wasn't in the mood to tell her.  But who would?  A prickle at the back of her neck gave her the answer, and she turned around, walking down the corridor to where Hermione was listening.  She looked guilty when Buffy caught her, but Buffy paid it no heed.

"Can you ask him what's bothering him?"  Buffy pleaded, and Hermione frowned.

"He's stubborn…when he's like this, it's best to leave him alone."  Hermione replied, but the look on Buffy's face, made her give in.  Buffy smiled in thanks and continued up the stairs, leaving Hermione alone in the dark corridor.  Hermione took a deep breath and entered the room where Harry was staying with Ron.

He was sitting on his bed, hunched over a photo album.  He did not look up when Hermione entered, so she sat quietly next to him, careful not to disturb him.

The photograph he was looking at was one she had not seen before.  The edges were torn, and the middle was creased, but Hermione could still see the people in it.  There were six occupants, all waving and smiling at Harry.  At the back were the tallest, a black haired man with glasses that Hermione knew was James and a dark, tanned man with boyish handsome features, which Hermione guessed was Sirius.  A young man with light brown hair stood in front of James, and Hermione knew instantly that it was Remus.  Next to him stood a small, fat boy that Hermione knew was Peter.  The four Marauders.  In the very front were two females, one considerably taller and older than the other.  The taller one had red hair and emerald eyes, and Hermione could tell it was Lily.  The last occupant of the picture was a small blonde girl, who looked about nine years old.  She was wearing muggle clothing, and was smiling and laughing, her green eyes sparkling beneath her fringe.  

"It's Buffy."  Harry whispered, and Hermione looked at him.  His hair looked messier than ever, his eyes were emotionless, but there was a tiny tear running down his cheek.

"Where did you get this?"  Hermione asked quietly, watching as Lily kissed James in the picture and the other occupants pretended to gag.

Harry smiled and his father's antics.  They looked so young…so happy…they had no idea what was to come.  "Dumbledore gave it to me on the last day of our fifth year.  He said I'll know why later.  He did not even tell me who the child was.  Now it makes sense."  Harry replied, wiping away the stray tear.

"Why are you so angry at Buffy?"  Hermione asked, and Harry shrugged.

He himself had not known the answer before, but when he had been sitting on this bed, with the photograph in his hand, he had known why.  

Where had she been all these years?  Why had she abandoned him?  Why had it taken her so long to come back?  He had been through so many things since his parents died…the Dursleys…Hogwarts…the Chamber of Secrets…the Philosopher's Stone…Sirius…the Triwizard Tournament…Cedric…his last year.  If Buffy had been alive all this time, and she was twenty seven years of age, why hadn't she come to find him?  Why had it taken her so long?  Hadn't she cared about him?  Didn't she know what he had been through, losing his parents like that?  Why wasn't she there to support him, to love him, like family should?

"No reason, it was just shock."  Harry lied.

Yay!  No cliffhanger this time…so all those death threats should stop now.  Harry/Buffy relationship…did anyone see that coming?  Did anyone know it was going to be all shouts and angrynessness?  If you did then tell me…then if you didn't…surprise!!!  I guess this has definitely gone a different direction than people thought, and I can tell you know, Buffy relationship with Harry will not be all hugs and kisses.  I have read tons of stories where Buffy is really close to Harry (Sam-453 'It's all in the blood' comes to mind), so I thought I might try something different…y'know?  Plus…endless possibilities to explore…ooo the fun!

Please review!


	10. Anger and Fear

Heya people!  Thanks for reviewing…really appreciate all the support.  I'm going to skip the long babble this time, because I don't really have much to say…

Chapter 10. And when the anger goes away for a while.

Buffy sat on her bed, twirling her dagger in her hands, thinking about Harry's reaction.  She was desperate to know why he was angry with her.  So when someone knocked on her bedroom door, she leapt up to open it, hoping it was Hermione.  But the person who had done the knocking was better than Hermione, it was Harry himself.

"May I come in?"  Harry asked nervously, and Buffy nodded for him to come in, so many years on the hellmouth having trained her in not inviting anyone in.  Harry walked in cautiously, surveying Buffy's room.  Buffy closed the thick wooden door behind Harry; she did not want anyone listening to this conversation.

Harry stood opposite the door, and Buffy stood in front of it, a good deal of distance separating them.  Harry avoided her gaze, and Buffy was reminded of when she had said good bye to Angel yesterday.  

"Spill."

Harry glanced at her, confused.  "Spill what?"

Buffy sighed…no one got her American language.  She was going to die here.  "Tell me what you're thinking.  What's bugging you?"

Harry sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed, putting his head in his hands. 

"Two hours ago, I thought that my mother only had one sister."  Harry started, and Buffy nodded for him to continue.  "And then you show up, out of the blue, kicking Aunt Petunia's ass and getting me back here."

"It wasn't really kicking ass…"Buffy said, grinning.

Harry smiled, and there was a little light in his eyes now.  "Well, it was cool, and I personally loved it.  But…Aunt Petunia never told me about you.  No one did.  And I'm guessing no one told you about me either."

Buffy shook her head.  "I did know about you, I was at your birth.  I'm your godmother."  Harry looked up to her, surprise in his eyes.

"So you knew."  Buffy nodded, and his eyes turned angry instantly.  "And you didn't come back!  You didn't come back even though you knew I was an orphan!"  Harry shouted and Buffy winced.

"Harry!  Harry!  Calm down please."  Buffy pleaded, and Harry's fists unclenched.  "I didn't know my sister died.  I only found out nine months ago."

Harry's gaze softened as she said it, his expression getting sadder.  "You didn't know?"

Buffy shook her head.  "All that time, I thought my sister was alive."

Harry did not know what to say, his anger deflated a little bit and he patted to the space next to him.  Buffy smiled weakly and took the space, sniffing occasionally.

"I'm sorry."  Harry soothed, and Buffy shrugged her shoulders.  Harry did not what to say that would help her; he had no experience in these situations.  Normally it was people comforting him, not the other way round.

"S'not your fault."  Buffy murmured, and Harry nodded.  They were quiet for a while, aunt and nephew sitting side by side, the air definitely clearer than it had been before.  Buffy still felt a little hostility from her nephew, but she could not expect him to accept her straight away.  It would take time, and Buffy was willing.

Harry yawned loudly, and smiled apologetically at Buffy.

"Tired?"  Buffy asked, smiling.

"Yeah.  A bit hungry too, you know, with all that…storming out I did earlier."  Harry admitted.

"Storming out and yelling does burn up a lot of energy."  Buffy joked, and Harry grinned, life coming back into his eyes.  _Maybe all this boy needs is some luvin'.  _Buffy thought.  "Do you think Mrs Weasley will mind if I get us some food?"  Harry shook his head, and Buffy grinned, standing up and moving quickly out of the room, Harry closely following her.

The pair hurried down the corridor and down the stairs and soon they arrived in the kitchen, finding it almost empty, save Hermione, the Weasley kids and Lupin.  They all looked up when the pair entered the room, and Lupin sent Buffy a look, asking silently if everything had been all right.  Buffy nodded, and smiled, Lupin breathing a sigh of relief.

"What are you doing down here?"  Asked Charlie as Buffy sat on a chair next to him.

"I'm hungry."  Buffy whined, pouting at Lupin who merrily laughed and retrieved a packet of biscuits from the shelf.

"Muggle biscuits, it's quite nice with a cup of tea."  Lupin informed, and Buffy snorted with laughter.  "What?"  Lupin asked, as Buffy giggled, causing everyone to look at her.

"You remind me so much of Giles that's all."  Buffy said, and the group looked more confused than ever.  "He's my Watcher, a friend…a dad really.  He was the closest thing to a dad I ever got, for me and my friends."  Buffy explained, smiling as she recalled her Watcher.

"What happened after they kidnapped you?"  Asked Hermione, and Buffy crushed her cookie in her hand, dropping the crumbs on the wooden table.

"If you don't want to tell us, it's fine."  Lupin reassured, squeezing her free hand.  Buffy shook her head.

"No, its okay.  I'll tell."  Buffy said softly.  "Well, I don't remember much of the journey in the car, I would wake up occasionally, scream and shout and then they'll punch me and knock me out again.  The flight was long, pretty unbearable, I was in cuffs most of the time, and I was being watched constantly.  When we got to Los Angeles, I met the people who were to become my parents.  Joyce and Hank Summers.  Muggles.  I hated them, I was angry at them and the council for taking me away from you and the others, Lupin.  That changed after a while, I loved Joyce as if she was my own mother.  Hank, I still hate, and the Council…well, I quit them."  Buffy finished, taking a bite out of a chocolate chip. 

Lupin shifted slightly in his chair.  "Why did you quit the Council?"

Buffy frowned, the events surrounding that incident was not pleasant to think about.  Faith had been evil at the time, and when she had turned, it was stab to Buffy's heart.  The two had a special bond, a bond more special than she had with Willow, because Faith was the only one that could understand her, that knew what it was like to be a slayer.  It was because of this bond that she welcomed Faith so warmly after she had been released from prison in Los Angeles.

"The Council did not agree with my way of doing things, so I quit."  Buffy informed vaguely.  She did not want to tell them about Angel and other aspects of her life.  Not yet. 

*** (AN//I was going to leave the chapter there, but since most of you have been complaining of short chapter's, I've given you some more.)

Buffy settled into the house quite comfortably, she missed her friends back home, but she was ecstatic to have found Lupin and Harry.  Harry and Buffy's friendship grew, but they both felt that the other was holding back, Harry holding back with his emotions and Buffy holding back with her experiences in the past.  But whatever Harry had been angry about before, it had 'seemingly' disappeared and they acted as if they had known each other for many years.   

Lupin and Buffy acted as if they had never been apart, Buffy was rarely seen without Lupin, and vice versa.  When Lupin was asked by Charlie if he had a crush on the blonde slayer, the werewolf had laughed and told Charlie that Buffy was just a very good friend, a sister almost.  Charlie's face had flooded with relief when Lupin had told him that, for it seemed as if the red head had fallen for Buffy.  Charlie flirted with Buffy as much as he could, and spent more days at the Order headquarters than he had last year.  Buffy had never flirted back; she did not feel that way about Charlie and did not want to lead him on.

Before long, Buffy had started to feel slightly annoyed by all the males she was surrounded with and she made firm friends with Tonks, for she was the almost the same age as Buffy and was fun to talk to.  Hermione and Ginny sometimes joined Buffy and Tonks in their daily talks, the males in the house getting on everyone's nerves, mostly Mrs Weasley's who was so fed up with the state of the house that she regularly went on strikes.  As she was the only one who knew how to cook, and was the one who fed everyone, she daily shouted that she would not be cooking dinner if they did not get the house tidied.  It was thanks to Mrs Weasley's shouting that Buffy had met Mrs Black, Sirius' mother.

"FILTHY MUGGLE LOVERS!  GET OUT OF MY HOUSE YOU BAS-"

Lupin hastily closed the curtains shut over Mrs Blacks' portrait, grinning at Buffy who had appeared in the middle of the hall, smirking at him.

"Under control?"  Buffy asked.

"Of course."  Lupin said breathlessly, and he let go of the curtains, only for it to be yanked open again by an invisible force, Mrs Black yelling at the top of her lungs.  

Buffy strode forward, yelled "Shut up" at the women who was screaming and yanked the curtains closed, the house eerily quiet after the deafening noise.

"Under control?"  Buffy repeated, with a superior look on her face.

"Do shut up."  Lupin muttered and Buffy grinned, linking her hands in his and lead him into the living room, where the youngest Weasley's and Harry and Hermione where cleaning.  Charlie stood off to the side, directing his younger brothers and sister as to where they should clean.

"Are you done?"  Buffy asked, looking at her watch.  "Mrs Weasley wanted it finished by eight o'clock."  

Ron glared at Buffy, who smirked in response.  "This is really hard you know!"  He complained.

"Manual labour is not our thing."  Fred said, grimacing as he spotted some dust on his lime green trousers.

"Well, you shouldn't have played that prank on me then."  Ginny chastised.  "Then mum wouldn't have taken your wands."  George glared at Ginny, who only smiled sweetly.

"Have you cleaned in there?"  Buffy asked, pointing to a large black cupboard in the corner in the room.

"No.  There could be something in there.  No one wants to see what's there."  Ginny answered, shuddering.

Buffy smirked at Charlie. "And poor Charlie was scared?"  Buffy teased in a baby voice.  Charlie bristled, and glared at her.

"No!"  Charlie defended sternly and Buffy grinned.

"Well, being the slayer, I call it upon myself to vanquish the bogey monster in the scary cupboard."  Buffy joked, and proceeded to the cupboard, opening the doors.

"See."  Buffy declared.  "Nothing th-"

There was a growl from the cupboard, and Buffy stepped back, eyeing the black inside of the cupboard.  It was in shadow, so Buffy could not see what was happening.  But the thing came out, grinning evilly at Buffy.

"Hello lover."  Angelus said smoothly, stepping closer to the trembling slayer.

She stood rooted to the spot, her hands covering her mouth, her eyes wide.

"No, it can't…he's in LA…It's not possible."  Buffy muttered, and Angelus smirked.

"I'm here Buff.  I'm all yours.  And you're _mine_."

_Crack._

Angelus suddenly became Faith, and she looked up to Buffy, her eyes dancing evilly.

"Such a shame you couldn't save me before, B."  Faith taunted.  "Y'know, the only reason I went evil was 'cos of you.  It was your fault.  And now, this" She held her arms out, gesturing to herself. "This is your entire fault.  I'm evil because of you."  Faith spat.

_Crack._

Willow's eyes were black, her hair was black, and her skin was deathly pale.  Sparks flew from her hands and she smirked at Buffy.

_Crack._

Xander's dead body replaced Willow's on the floor.

_Crack._

Now it was Giles' body that lay on the floor.

_Crack._

Spike on the floor, his body bathed in blood.

_Crack_

Harry's body.

"Riddikulus!"  Lupin yelled finally, and a silvery orb replaced Harry, but he waved it away as he approached Buffy.

"Buffy?"  He asked, grasping her shoulders and watched her, his eyebrows furrowed in concern.

Tears fell freely down her cheeks, and she tried to talk, but she couldn't seem to get the words out.  All of those dead bodies…Faith…Willow…Angelus.  It was all of her worst nightmares, and when she saw them there, she thought it was all happening, it was all real.  She collapsed in Lupin's arm, sobbing hysterically, her tears soaking his robe.

"All of them…dead…Angelus…Faith…o god."  Buffy choked, and Lupin stroked her hair, whispering comforting words in her ear.

Harry looked on at his aunt, shocked.  The amount of things that the Boggart had turned into was frightening.  He had never known that Buffy was scared of so many things, but then again, Buffy had never told her of her past experiences.

Buffy soon quietened down, and her tears subsided.

"What was that thing?"  Buffy asked quietly, her eyes searching the dark corners as if it would come out again.

"A Boggart.  They take the form of whatever it thinks will frighten us most."  Hermione informed, looking kindly at Buffy.

"That's a lot of things your frightened of."  Charlie commented.

"There was more to come."  Buffy said quietly, and the room fell silent.  Sensing the uncomfortable sense of the room, she stood up quickly and wiped the tears from her eyes.  "I'm going out.  I'll be back in a couple of hours."  Buffy announced, before sweeping from the room.

Whew…long chapter.  I know the Boggart thing has been done countless of times, but I couldn't help myself.

For all those of you who think the Harry angriness is over…boy are you wrong.  Obviously, they will be nice to each other, but don't forget, Harry is a stubborn idiot, and Buffy is a 'stuck-up-tight-ass'.  (I don't really like Harry that much, and Buffy is quite annoying).  So the point is…if you want Harry and Buffy to be all hugs and kisses, you're going to have to wait around a bit…it will happen I guarantee, but it's going to take a bit of time.

Please review!   


	11. Portals and Muggle Magic

Hello everyone!  I'm glad lots of people like Harry's reaction, it is slightly more realistic isn't it.  And no, this is not a dig at Sam-453's story, because you know you rock Sam-453!

Questions and Answer time:

Who will Buffy be paired with?:  I'm not telling, but there are definite hints from next chapter onwards.  

Will Harry get to meet the Scoobies and everyone? Yes, Faith is going to be coming in soon, 'cos I love her, and Willow will be coming shortly after that, and then everyone else is going to follow, including Angel.

When is Sirius coming back? :  Hehe, well, if you just read this chapter…you'll find out…

Note:  The spell I use in the last part of the chapter may not be correct, I just searched for a spell on google and it came up with this.  I'm hope I'm right with everything in this chapter, because it would suck if things weren't right.

Chapter 12.-Portals and Muggle magic.

The boggart had Buffy in a weird mood.  Buffy walked the streets of London, her duster hugging her slim figure, her head bent, focusing on her feet.  It was not a way to walk, and she gained curious glances from passers-by.  The sun was setting, and there was a purple and red glow across the sky.  Cars drove past Buffy, couples walked alongside her and boys played football in the park.  Since it was August, London was hot and dry, brown patches on the grass showing the effects of the water drought.  Buffy did not need the duster, but she felt comfortable in it.  If felt like home, well, it reminded her of it.  And she really wanted to be home.  The boggart had caused uneasy feelings to stir inside her, and she just wanted them to be washed away.  But who was going to do that for her now that she was here?  None of the people here knew of her past except for Dumbledore, and Buffy really could not imagine talking to him about it with him over some hot chocolate.

Buffy knew that one day she would have to tell Harry and the others about her past, but not just yet.  She was happy being no past girl at the moment, she liked the fact that no one here knew of her fears, of her tribulations and her terrible memories.  She did not know when she was going to share her past, IF she was going to.  Buffy had been told about Harry's past, about his time at Hogwarts, including Sirius.  Harry had been through a lot, but it could not compare to what Buffy had gone through.  The problem was, no one knew what it was like to be Buffy.  To have been through what she had been through, to have felt what she felt like.  Faith was a large help, because only she knew of what it was like to be a slayer.  Willow was help as well because Buffy used to tell her everything, and Willow tended to be good with the advice and the consoling.  But the thing was, they were not here.  

Buffy had never felt so alone in her life.

Sure, she was surrounded by friends all the time, at both sides of the Atlantic, but she had felt, a lot of the time, alone.

When Buffy was taken by the council, she had felt alone.  When she had died in the hands of the Master, she had felt alone.  When she had killed Angel, she felt alone.  When Faith turned evil, she felt alone.  When she had found Joyce, dead, she felt alone.  When she walked the streets of some city, knowing that her friends were miles away, she felt alone.

The problem was, Buffy knew that most of the time, it was HER fault she felt alone.  Because she shunned everyone away, because she kept secrets, because she did not let people in, she was alone.  

Buffy was wallowing in a sea of self-pity, and she had never felt more alone.

* * *

Buffy slashed at the demon with her special knife, the blade only grazing the skin of the demon.

The demon threw Buffy against a tree, and Buffy quickly regrouped.  Behind the demon was a light, a special light.  Buffy knew exactly what it was, and she was determined to get the demon back into it.  The light was a portal.

Buffy delivered a roundhouse to the demon, and then quickly punched it back towards the portal.  The demon staggered slightly, then grabbed Buffy's arm to steady itself.  Buffy threw the demon over her head, and it hit the trunk of a tree, snarling at her as it regrouped.  

Buffy grinned back, and threw a punch to its chest, then flung it closer to the portal.  The demon was on the floor now, and, with the dagger in her hand, she stabbed it on its leg.  The demon roared in pain, and Buffy stabbed again.

She did not see the hand that came out from underneath the demon, she did not see the hand rising to hit the dagger out of her hand, and she was not quick enough to catch her dagger as it fell into the portal, the light blinding her as it disappeared.  Buffy snapped the demons neck as the portal vanished and she stared sadly at the space the portal had occupied.  The dagger had gone, her favourite weapon and her most precious thing.

Bugger.

* * *

Considering she had lost the weapon that marked her tenth anniversary of becoming a slayer, Buffy returned to the Order headquarters in high spirits.  Thoughts of the Boggart were gone; rather, it was pushed to the back of Buffy's mind and she was trying not to think about it.  Buffy knocked on the door of the house and Mrs Weasley answered the knock, and smiling reassuringly at Molly's worried gaze, Buffy darted past her and into the hallway.  Mrs Black's portrait was blissfully quiet, and Buffy quietly tip toed down to the kitchen, as Molly had just informed her that everyone was having dinner.  Molly swept her eyes over Buffy's thin frame and clicked her tongue disapprovingly.

Heads swivelled round to greet Buffy as she entered, and Buffy sat quickly in a chair next to Harry, ignoring the stares she was given by the younger teens.

"You alright?"  Charlie asked quietly, and Buffy nodded vaguely.  Everyone had already started dinner, and she reached for the bowl of pasta, her arm outstretched.  Harry gasped.

"Buffy…you're hurt."  He said, his eyes flickering to meet her eyes.  Buffy looked down and saw the large slit in her midriff.  

Buffy sucked in breath sharply and fingered the cut.  "Damn."  She muttered.

"Does it hurt?"  Lupin asked, worried.

"This is my favourite shirt!"  Buffy said, highly annoyed.  "Stupid demon with his stupid portal."  She babbled to herself.

"Portal?"  Charlie asked, and Buffy looked up to him.

"Yeah, killed the demon, closed the portal, but my dagger got lost in it."  Buffy informed.

"Where was the portal too?" Hermione asked, interested.  She had not read much about portals, and she genuinely interested.

"Dunno.  But I for one did not want to find out.  I've already been to hell, and let me tell you, that was not an experience from the good."  Buffy replied, and eyebrows rose around her.

"You've been to hell?"  Molly asked, shuddering for the girl she had grown to like over such a short space of time.  Buffy nodded in response, as she took a sip from her orange juice in the silver coated goblet.

"What happened?"  Asked Harry, intrigued.  Was that where Sirius was?  In hell?  Or was he in heaven?

"Long story.  Not telling it here."  Buffy replied simply and Harry's gaze turned back to his food, his teeth grinding against each other in fury.  Buffy never told him anything, and it was highly annoying.

Harry was silent for the rest of the meal, only talking when he was asked a question, and only then it was short sharp answers.  Tears formed in his eyes as he forced down his food and soon he found he could not see, as his eyes were blurred by the tears.  So when Mrs Weasley told the teens they could go upstairs, Harry leapt up and left the room quickly, hurrying up the stairs to the room he shared with Ron.  He shut the door quickly and sat on his bed, burying his head in his hand.  He barely registered the door opening and closing again and soft footsteps on the wooden floor.  

Buffy sat next to Harry, her hands twisting nervously on her lap.  She did not know what to do.  She was not good at this aunt stuff!  Only friend stuff.  Would did you say to you sixteen year old nephew who had suffered as much as Harry had?

"Tell me."  Buffy said, rubbing Harry's back soothingly.

Harry looked up and caught Buffy's eye.  "It's about Sirius."

Buffy nodded weakly.  She knew everything about Sirius now, why he had gone to Azkaban, how he had escaped and how he died.  But it still saddened her to think about it.

"I need to talk to someone about it."  Harry said, and Buffy nodded again.

"I'm here for you.  I always will be, from now on.  Don't forget that."  She said and Harry smiled weakly.

"Well, I…"

"Lupin wants you downstairs, Buffy."  Ron interrupted Harry as he entered the room. 

"We'll talk later ok?"  Buffy said to Harry, before leaving the room.

Yeah.  Later, Harry thought, clenching his fists.  Like that's ever going to happen.  So far, in the week he had known Buffy, she had not told him anything about her life, her life with Lily and her life as a slayer.  No matter how many times Harry had asked her to open up, Buffy had not.  It was infuriating Harry and his hatred for her was growing deeper.  

* * *

"So are we done?"  Buffy asked Lupin, and he nodded, a smile on his face.

"Why are you in such a rush to get out?  Don't you like my company?"  He asked playfully, and Buffy smiled, hugging him tightly.

"Aw…I'm so glad you figured it out."

Lupin hit Buffy playfully on the shoulder and she giggled.  

"I gotta see Harry.  He wants to talk."

"Dear, Harry is already in bed."  Molly said, peering over her cup of coffee to look at Buffy.  "Ron told me that he has crashed out, poor dear."

Buffy nodded in thanks.  She will have to speak to Harry tomorrow then.  "In that case, I'm going to do a little magic."

"What do you mean?"  Lupin asked.

"Well, my favourite weapon is lost in some dimension somewhere, and I remember Willow, the Wicca witch, telling me about a spell I could use to find lost things." Buffy explained, and Charlie jumped up from his seat.

"You need any help?"  He asked hopefully, and Buffy shook her head.

"But you can watch."  She added as Charlie's face fell.

"I'll come too."  Lupin said, and Mr Weasley stood up also.

"Muggle magic."  He said with an excited voice, and Buffy chuckled.  Ever since she had come here, he had been constantly asking her about Muggle things, especially plugs.  

Buffy quickly raced up to her room and gathered her incense sticks and candles.  She loved doing magic, especially wand magic.  Shortly after Dumbledore had met Buffy, he had given her her wand, and told her to practise.  With Willow and Tara's help, she had learnt Wicca magic, and through books, she was learning wand magic.

She was going to be performing the spell in an unused room next to the Order's meeting room, and when she got down there, she found quite a crowd.  The Weasley's, Harry, Hermione, Lupin and Moody were there, they all wanted to see Wicca magic, as apparently, none of them had seen it before.

Buffy chuckled to herself and placed candles in a circle and Charlie lit them.  She sat in the middle of the candles and lit the incense, the smell wafting deliciously around the room.  She looked at the crowd at the side of the room, lit by small torches of light which hung from the wall.  She tried to catch Harry's eye, but he seemed to be avoiding her gaze, his was fixed on the punching bag that Giles had sent over hanging from the ceiling.  Buffy frowned.  Harry was still mad at her then.  And he obviously was not asleep.  She vowed to talk to him after the spell.

"It isn't anything special, y'know?"  Buffy informed, and the group shrugged.

"Muggle magic."  Mr Weasley repeated, and Buffy giggled again.

"Ok, everyone has to be silent."  The crowd obliged, and the room plunged into quiet.  It seemed quite magical, the candles created a soft glow with the torches, the incense stick shone red in the dim and the smell travelled up their noses, intoxicating them. 

Buffy closed her eyes, and centred herself.  She had only done this spell once, with not-so-good results, so she was slightly nervous.  She relaxed her mind, and she began chanting.

"Bound and Binding  
  


Binding Bound.   
  


See the Sight   
  


Hear the Sound.   
  


What was lost   
  


Now is found.   
  


Bound and Binding   
  


Binding Bound."

Buffy's chants filled the room, and a white light formed on the ceiling.  It seemed to be moving, spinning in a circle, and then the portal lengthened and ended right in front of Buffy, outside the circle.  The portal opened, a black hole appeared in the middle.  It lengthened and gusts of air blew at Buffy, wind picking up her hair and twirling it around her head.  But the flames of the candles grew stronger.  Buffy's eyes remained closed as the wind grew stronger, as the hole grew and as the glow of the portal grew brighter.  

And suddenly, a body fell out of the portal.  It fell next to the circle of candles which enclosed Buffy, and it laid there, the chest of the body moving up and down slowly as the body came back to life.  Then Buffy's dagger flew out of the portal, landing next to the head of the body, and the portal vanished.

The room dimmed, the wind disappeared, and the man's long black hair was dangerously close to the candles.  Buffy's eyes were still closed.

"Did it work?"

Please review!  I'll a cookie for those who guess correctly who the man is!

ATTENTION!!!  Ok, I have a slight (large) dilemma.  I have absolutely no idea who will be teaching DADA, so suggestions will be accepted.  It can be anyone, from Harry Potter realm or the Buffy realm, or you could ask me to make up someone.  I just really need you're help with this, and I'll give you an extra cookie if you help me out.

ALSO:  Problem no 2.  Does anyone want Harry paired?  If so, give me a shout, and I'll see what I can do, I originally had not pairing for him, but I think it'll be nice to give him a girlfriend, judging on the things I'm going to put him through, he's is going to need some loving. ;)


	12. The Return of Sirius Black

Chapter 13.-The return of Sirius Black.

Buffy opened her eyes and gasped as she saw the body. Black hair spilled out to the floor, his thin face was expressionless and robes covered his body.

"Oops." Buffy muttered to herself before rushing over to the man's side. The adults followed her, and as they saw the face of the man, they gasped. "Is he dead?" Buffy asked, not noticing the adults shocked faces.

"He's supposed to be." Charlie whispered, and the man stirred, groaning and opening his eyes, his blue eyes searching the room.

"What's wrong?" A voice asked from the side of the room, and all the adults turned to the owner of the voice. Harry stood next to Ron, a concerned look flitting across his face. He started to move forward, but Arthur jumped in front of him, his hands level with Harry's chest.

"I think it best if you don't come near, Harry." Arthur said, and Harry looked at Buffy.

"What's wrong, Buffy?"

"Harry?"

The room was plunged into silence, and a disbelieving look flitted across Harry's face. His eyes trailed from Buffy face, to the group on the floor.

"Sirius?" Harry's voice was cracked, and he pushed past Arthur, who only half heartedly tried to stop him. "Sirius?" He repeated, and the group surrounding Sirius parted so Harry could approach him. Harry's smile that had been growing ever since he had pushed past Arthur was large; the largest smile Buffy had seen Harry wear in the time she had known him.

Sirius sat up, a grin on his thin face as he studied his godson. "You alright Harry?" He said before Harry engulfed him in a tight hug, and Sirius embraced him equally tightly.

"You're back. You're alive!" Harry said, his face buried in Sirius' hair.

"Apparently so." Sirius joked, his eyes shining with tears as he held on to his god son.

Buffy grinned; it was so good to see Harry happy. His eyes had life and light flooding back into them now, and Buffy was glad. _All this boy needs is some luvin'_. Buffy was especially ecstatic, because not only was Harry cheerful, but Sirius was back. Buffy could be reunited with her favourite Marauder.

"Who brought me back?" Sirius asked, parting from Harry and taking Arthur's and Harry's hands to help him stand up. Buffy walked forward, but Sirius caught sight of Lupin and grinned. "Remus! How are you mate?" He asked, slapping Lupin on the shoulder.

"How was death?" Lupin asked, and Sirius smiled.

"Surprisingly dull." He responded and Buffy was shocked. Dull? How could it be dull? Sirius would either had of been in hell, suffering an age of torment, or he would have been in heaven, living in peace.

"Where were you?" Buffy asked, and Sirius looked at her, surprised. His blue eyes were searching her green ones, and Buffy felt her breath hitch in her throat. She had forgotten how intense his eyes were. Sirius did not seem to recognize who Buffy really was and he told her where had been.

"A dimension where people wait for their time." Sirius replied.

"Time?"

"Apparently, it was not my time to die, so they kept me back, so I could be brought back to life, or so this guy said."

Buffy grinned. She had feeling that she knew who was the guy was, but she wanted Sirius to clarify it for her. "This guy?"

"Goes by the name Whistler." Sirius elaborated, his brows furrowed. "Who are you?" Sirius asked, and Buffy grinned.

"I brought you back." Buffy said simply and Sirius smiled.

"Thank you." He said genuinely, shaking her hand vigorously. "Do you have a name?" Buffy grinned, and Sirius felt a hint of recognition. "Buffy. Buffy Evans." He whispered to himself. "Lily's little sister." Before Buffy had time to react, Sirius jerked Buffy's hand towards him and engulfed her in a tight hug, his hands wrapped firmly around her waist, as if he would never let her go. "I thought you were dead Buffy." He whispered into her ear.

"I thought you were dead too, but obviously that changed." Buffy joked, her eyes brimming with tears. Sirius laughed and held her at arm's length, inspecting her as Lupin had done.

"You look so different." He acknowledged, and Buffy nodded.

"So do you. But I guess that's what sixteen years does to you." Buffy said, smiling up at the friend she had lost so many years ago.

"How long have you been here?" Sirius asked his hands still on Buffy's shoulders.

"About a week. It's a nice house Sirius. I don't like your mother though."

"Who does?" Sirius agreed, letting one of his hands fall to her waist. His fingers traced the side of her torso, and Buffy felt chills rush down her spine as he touched her. "Where's Dumbledore?" He asked to the rest of the group, broad grins greeting him and he turned to face them.

"He doesn't know you're alive." Molly said with a large motherly smile on her face. Despite all the differences Sirius and she had had the previous year, Molly was exceptionally glad that Sirius was alive, for she could see the change Harry had undertaken in just five minutes. He seemed more relaxed, there was a large grin on his face and his emerald eyes seemed to dance.

"Yes he does." Buffy said, looking at the direction of the door. "He's here."

"How do you know that?" Charlie asked as his eyes traveling down to Buffy's waist were Sirius' hand lay, feeling a pang of jealousy.

"Someone really powerful just entered the house. It could be Dumbledore, Voldemort, Willow or Faith. And since Will and Faith are in LA, and the person entering is filled with good magic so it can not possibly be Voldemort, the only person left is Dumbledore." Buffy explained.

"Who's Willow and Faith?" Sirius asked.

"Two of my friends from home. Willow's a mega powerful witch, and Faith…Faith is complicated." Buffy said. Whenever Willow or Faith had entered a room, Buffy had always felt something different around them. It was power, and the two girls were reeking of it. Faith's power was slayer power, and Faith knew of her power, but Buffy had a feeling Willow did not. Even though Willow had been practicing Wicca magic for many years now, Buffy thought that Willow would never realize her full power until she was put to the test, and so far, Willow had never been put in that position.

"What do you mean, complicated?" Lupin asked, and Buffy just shrugged her shoulders.

The door to the room they were in opened and Dumbledore swept into the room, smiling broadly at Sirius. "Welcome back, old friend." Dumbledore said, shaking Sirius' free hand.

"Good to be back, Albus." Sirius said excitedly.

"You are not tired? Hurt in any way?" Dumbledore asked, and Sirius shook his head. Dumbledore turned to Buffy and smiled. "I think we have you to thank for Sirius' revival."

"I didn't even mean for him to come back. But I'm glad he did, 'sides, I got my handy dagger back, Dumble-d." She said, picking up her dagger and glaring at Sirius when he chuckled at Buffy's name for the old man.

"Trouble during patrol, I take it?" Dumbledore asked, ushering for everyone to leave the room, taking out his wand and extinguishing the flames on the candles.

"Oh you, know, same old same old. Demons trying to kill me, same old, same old." Buffy told Dumbledore.

"Buffy found a Boggart in the cupboard as well." Harry said, staying close to Sirius.

Dumbledore turned his kind eyes on Buffy. "Who?"

"Faith, Willow, Angel, plus all the others." Buffy explained, knowing Dumbledore would understand what she had said.

"Who's she?" Sirius asked. "Who's Angel?"

Buffy giggled. "You tell him that you thought Angel was a girl, and he'll kill you." Dumbledore nodded, and then his gaze flitted down to Sirius' hand on Buffy's waist. A smile grew on his face.

"If you happen to mention 'that'" Dumbledore gestured to Sirius' hand on Buffy's waist, "then he will kill Sirius without a doubt." Buffy blushed and removed herself from Sirius' grasp, running towards Lupin, away from Sirius, not noticing the hurt look on Sirius' face. "You've been alive five minutes Sirius, and you've already taken with the girl." Dumbledore teased, and Sirius grinned.

"Lily would hate me now, wouldn't she?" Sirius asked, and Dumbledore nodded in agreement.

"With a passion."


	13. The Surprise Guest

Chapter 12 and 13 has been edited to leave out the prophecy regarding the Marauders. It just doesn't fit with the story anymore.

Edited 30/10/04

Chapter 13.

Things seemed to be on a high at Sirius' house for the next couple of days. Dinner was always a joyous affair, now that Sirius was back; he seemed to be like the young man Buffy had known when she lived in England. Everything seemed to be looking up. Harry was noticeably happier, and much to Buffy's surprise, Ron and Hermione had actually embraced her and thanked her for bringing back Sirius, apparently, there had been a strain on their friendship since Sirius had died, and now the strain had disappeared. It was the last night until Harry and his friends went back to Hogwarts, and Molly had cooked a special meal for the teenagers. Molly had prepared cakes, meat dishes, vegetables and had bought Firewhisky and Butterbeer, courtesy of Mundungus Fletcher. Molly had produced a large banner that issued congratulations to Ginny for becoming a Prefect and congratulations for the excellent results Harry, Hermione and Ron had received for their O.W.L.S. Harry's desired career of becoming an Auror was in reach, he had achieved Outstanding for all the subjects he needed, much to his delight. Hermione had received Outstanding for all her subjects and Ron had only failed Divination. Everyone was in high spirits, Molly had taken the kids to Diagon Alley to collect their equipment and they had all returned on a high.

All the Weasleys (save Percy who was still not speaking to his family), Harry, Hermione, Buffy, Sirius, Lupin, Dumbledore, Tonks, Moody, McGonagall, Snape (much to the Weasley's displeasure), Fletcher and Diggle were seated at the table, which was a squeeze, but they managed. As usual, the conversation was split into little groups, and Buffy found herself next to Sirius and Charlie, with, unfortunately, Snape opposite. Sirius and Charlie seemed to be competing for Buffy's attention, while Snape was sending glares at Sirius. Unfortunately, Snape had not taken Sirius' arrival from the dead well, he had simply stared at Sirius, muttered a 'god help us' and had swept from the room.

Sirius' reaction to Buffy's slayer status had been amusing also. Buffy had told him the night he had been brought back, and Sirius had muttered 'Bloody hell' causing Buffy to laugh because he reminded her of Spike when he said it.

It was ten minutes into dinner when Dumbledore had looked at his pocket watch from his seat at the head of the table. He had smiled secretly, glanced at Buffy shortly and then had made an apologetic excuse to Molly and had left the house.

The dinner continued without him however, and the topic of the conversation among the young adults and Harry and his friends turned to Sirius' days at Hogwarts. Sirius and Lupin had great pleasure in talking about the pranks and chaos they had caused at school, Harry was engrossed in the stories, anything that involved his parents, he was willing to listen. But the subject soon fell off the Marauders' doing at school (much to Snape's delight who was being forced to listen to the conversation as he was too far away to partake in the older adults' conversation) and turned to Buffy's time at school.

"All that training we gave you, you must have done some pranks at school." Sirius argued and Buffy shook her head.

"Nope. No pranks to speak of."

"No pranks? No school property damage, nothing?" Sirius asked, astonished. Buffy grinned.

"Well, there was a tiny bit of school property damage, but that wasn't because of a prank."

"What happened?" Asked George eagerly.

"Well, there were two major property damages. One happened in my school in LA, which caused me to be expelled from that school, and the second in my school in Sunnydale, at my Graduation."

George and Fred were listening with open mouths and wide eyes. "You were expelled? Wow, that's amazing!"

"Twice." Snape visibly bristled across Buffy.

"Why?" Asked Sirius, curious.

"Well, the first time was because of property damage and the second time…well…I was accused of murder. Plus, the principal did not really like me, with my criminal record and everything."

"Criminal record? Murder?" Harry asked, his eyes wide.

Buffy nodded, wincing. "It's nothing to be proud of, trust me. I have a pretty long criminal record, mostly for causing fights and property damage, but the second time I got expelled, I found my friend dead on the floor, and the cops assumed it was me who killed her."

"So what were the property damages?" George pushed on and Buffy grinned.

"Well, the first one was for burning down the gym of my school, and the second was for blowing the whole school up."

The group was silent, the Weasley boys, Sirius and Ginny gazing at Buffy in amazement-in the twins' case, it was adoration and idolization. Hermione was had an appalled look on her face, and Lupin was torn between looking shocked and amazed. Snape could not help but overhear Buffy's conversation and revelation, and could not hide a look that almost mirrored Hermione's.

"Why did you burn down the gym?" George asked.

"Vampires."

"And the school?"

"Demon."

"You are a goddess." George blurted out, causing every to laugh. But his face was serious, as he looked on adoringly at Buffy. "If only you were at Hogwarts with us…imagine the things we could have done then, Fred!"

"Goddess or no goddess," Buffy said in between laughs, "I still got myself into a lot of shit I am not proud of."

"You blew up a school! How wicked is that!" Fred proclaimed.

"Yeah, but I also had a hundred foot demon snake following me through the school before I blew it up." Buffy added. "That was not of the fun."

The group laughed, but then they fell silent as they realized Buffy was telling the truth.

"What else did you go through at school?" Ron asked, in between bites of a bread roll.

"If you want to know everything that's happened to me, we're going to be here for a long time." Buffy said.

"Or, I could help you B. That's gonna take less time." A voice interrupted the group and Buffy turned her head to face the woman in surprise. There she stood, wearing tight black leather trousers and a fitting black top, her brown wavy hair falling onto her shoulders and her purple painted lips pulled into a smile. "Long time no see, B."

"Faith!" Buffy jumped up from her seat and hugged her tightly, with extra slayer strength. They parted and Buffy frowned. "What are you doing here?"

"You invited me." Faith said plainly.

"I did?"

"In your last letter, you said I should drop by some time. And here I am." Faith said.

"Here you are." Buffy agreed, and Faith winked.

"Ok, so you didn't say come straight away, but LA is officially dead, B. I got in need for a fight, and I decided to come here. You know how it is when you just wanna ugh."

"Faith, the grunting." Buffy said, grinning. "And that's not the reason, is it? Remember when you just happened to bump into me in Chicago, and you just happened to be in the neighbourhood in New York? You got lonely, and you missed me, didn't ya?" Buffy exclaimed proudly, and Faith rolled her eyes.

"'K, you got me B. I'm a softie. Just don't tell Xander, I'll never live that down." Faith said with a scowl.

"How did you get here?" Buffy asked, and Faith gestured to Dumbledore behind her.

"Big D hooked me up. Food!" Faith sat down in Buffy's place, and generously helped herself to some chocolate cake, much to the surprise of the others around her. "So, can I stay B?"

Buffy looked helplessly at Sirius and he grinned. "It's not my house, but I'm sure Sirius won't mind."

"I'm Sirius." Sirius said, introducing himself, and Faith raised an eyebrow.

"Seriously?" Faith joked and Sirius scowled. After sending a grateful smile to Dumbledore, Buffy sat in between Sirius and Faith.

"How do you two know each other?" Lupin asked, and Faith grinned.

"We're the Chosen two."

"Chosen Two?"

"We're both slayers." Buffy explained.

"But…that's impossible. There can only be one slayer at a time." Hermione argued, and Faith rolled her eyes.

"B, you do the Giles thing, 'k?"

"When a slayer dies, another is called." Buffy said, hoping that would make it plainer.

Ginny looked horrified. "So one of you died?"

"It was B. She was the one who got bit and then drowned by a vampire, then another was called, then she died, then I got called."

The group looked at Buffy horrified, even Snape was shocked. Buffy reddened under their attention and glared at Faith.

"Thanks a lot Faith."

"No problem B."

Looking at her friends expressions, Buffy decided to tell them the truth. "It was only for a minute. Then my friend Xander brought me back with CPR, a muggle thing. I was sixteen and the Master was going to end the world, I was supposed to stop it, there was a prophecy ("Always a damn prophecy" Muttered Harry under his breath, but no one heard him.) saying that I was going to die at the hands of the Master. I threw a big tantrum when I found out, but I went anyway, and the Master killed me. I was brought back to life, I saved the world, and then we partied." Buffy explained to a silent and fixed audience. There was silence; they appeared to be taking everything in. Then Harry asked a question.

"You found out you were going to die, but you went anyway? Why?" Buffy shrugged.

"It was the right thing to do. My theory was, if I died, I hoped to take him with me. And I kind of did, in a weird way."

The group was silent, taking in what Buffy had just told them, until Faith got bored.

"Who wants to hear about the time Buffy faced Dracula?"

Snape visibly tensed, and he growled.


	14. Healing Wounds

Hello everyone!  Thank you all for your reviews!  They are greatly appreciated!

Sam-453:  I had the idea first so bugger off.  :(

Chrisiana:  Hi!  I'm not laughing at your name…thank you so much for your review!  It was so nice!  And ramble-y.  But I like long reviews!  So feel free to drop by with a long review soon!

Kick a** warrior woman:  I think I'm doing everything you mentioned…hehe…chaos!

Holy trinity:  I wish.

DiscordantDragon:  I'm so sorry!  I forgot to answer it, but yes Buffy still has the ring.  It won't be mentioned till later.

Chapter 15.  Healing wounds.

It was late at night following Faith's arrival, and the two girls were upstairs in Buffy's room.  The guests had gone home, and most of the occupants of the house were asleep.  The two girls had been having a talk when Faith felt the need to eat something.  Again.  So the two women walked down the stairs quietly and carefully, the house feeling creepier at night.  Buffy and Faith were wearing their nightclothes, which consisted of shorts and a t-shirt, for both slayers.

Faith and Buffy crept into the kitchen and were greeted by four men, Bill, Charlie, Sirius and Lupin.  The four men looked agape at the lack of clothes the slayers were wearing and Faith and Buffy grinned at each other.  Until Faith actually saw the four men.  And the attractiveness of them.  Faith raised an eyebrow at the men, and Buffy rolled her eyes.  Here we go, Buffy thought.

"B, what d'ya think?  Good looking guys or what?"  

"Oh yeah."  Buffy agreed, and the four men looked slightly scared at the look of Faith.  Faith looked like a hunter, and to her, the men looked like prey.

"B, you interested?"

"Yeah, but you pick first."

"Maple syrup or dark chocolate?"

"Not the other two?"

"Nah, not my type.  Yours?"

"Hell no, one of them is like a brother."

The men surrounding the table looked confused.

"Have a preference?"

"No."  Buffy lied.

"You sure?"

"Positive Faith."

"Alright, I chose Maple Syrup."  Faith said, smiling seductively at Charlie, who blushed in return.

"Good, I wanted dark chocolate."  Buffy whispered so that only Faith could hear, glancing at Sirius, but he did not notice.

"You got yours, I got mine."  Faith said, grinning.

"Want.  Take.  Have."  Buffy remembered fondly.  Buffy grinned as she watched Faith walk up to Charlie, her hand on her hips.  She bent down, and kissed an astonished Charlie roughly on the lips.

"Don't stay up too late, B."  Faith said, giving a seductive wink to Charlie, before leaving the room.

Buffy smirked at the shocked faces, and sat on a chair next to Lupin.  There was silence for a while, and then Charlie uncomfortably cleared his throat.

"That's a…a…nice friend you got there, Buffy."  He said, and Buffy giggled.

"Yeah, that's Faith.  I pity you."  

Charlie raised an eyebrow.  "Why?"

"Well, two years ago, she was dating this guy.  And when I say dating, I mean having sex all the time.  They were together for about ten days, and then the poor guy just left the country.  Haven't seen him since."

Charlie looked shocked, and Bill grinned.  "Nice girl you got, Charlie."

***

Buffy woke up early the next morning.  She wanted to see Harry and his friends off to Hogwarts.  She was not going to be going herself, she was going to stay in the Order's headquarters', helping out the Order and, of course, keeping Sirius company.  

Buffy did not know how she felt about Sirius.  Of course, she had had a large crush on him when she was eleven, but that was ages ago!  But, when he had looked at her, Buffy had felt all those feelings rush back, she had felt more attracted to him then she had before.  But it was not right for her to be attracted to him, not now, not ever.  Buffy had come to England to fight Voldemort and find her family.  She had no time for relationships.  Besides, Buffy and relationships do not mix, her relationship with Angel was a disaster, and Buffy had loved him with all her heart.  So Buffy decided that she was not going to do anything about her feelings, even though she had admitted them to Faith in front of him.

Buffy sat up on her bed quietly, casting a glance at the snoring Faith on a mattress next to the bed.  Buffy dressed quickly in a beige skirt and a white shirt and hurried down the stairs, to the kitchen.  She was the first one in the kitchen, and she took an apple from the fruit bowl and helped herself to a glass of water from the tap.  She sat on a chair next to the table, eating her apple when a disheveled and tired looking Harry came in, his black hair standing on end and his glasses askew.  He was dressed in muggle jeans and a large t-shirt and he smiled half heartedly at Buffy when he entered.

"Nice hair."  Buffy grinned and Harry lazily ran a hair through the mess.

"It's always like this.  I can never get it to be neat."

"I think you look nice like that.  You look like James a lot when you're hair is like that."  Buffy said, and Harry sat lazily on a chair next to her.  "Tired?"  Buffy asked sarcastically when Harry leant his head on the table.

"It's bloody eight in the morning.  I'm knackered."  He muttered sleepily, and Buffy grinned.

"Looking forward to going back to Hogwarts?"  

"Yeah.  Don't want to leave Sirius though."

"Of course."

The pair sat in silence for a while, and Buffy finished her apple.

"Why aren't you coming to Hogwarts with us?"  Harry asked, turning his head to look at Buffy.

"I'm a bit old to be going to Hogwarts, Harry."  She smiled, and Harry grinned.

"You know what I mean.  Don't you want to develop your magic?  I'm sure Dumbledore could teach you."  Harry asked, and Buffy got a hopeful look on her face.

"Or Sirius could."  Harry made a face.

"You like him a lot, don't you?"  Buffy sighed, and looked Harry in the eye.

"It's complicated, Harry.  My relationships with guys aren't normally about the sunshine and roses.  More like the pain and apocalypse."  Buffy explained, and Harry nodded.

"Thanks."

Buffy raised an eyebrow.  "For what?"

"For bringing him back."  Harry said, and Buffy smiled.  Harry turned his head away from Buffy and she frowned.

"You don't like me do you?"  Buffy asked quietly, and Harry's body tensed slightly, but Buffy did not miss it.

"I do like you."  Harry said, but Buffy shook her head.

"Don't lie to me Harry."

Harry was silent and then he leant back in his chair, avoiding Buffy's gaze.  "It's complicated, Buffy."

"Why?"

Harry sighed, and ran a hand through his hair.  "Ever since Sirius came back, you've…"

"Been taking up too much of his time?"  Buffy finished, and Harry nodded.

"I guess I'm jealous."  He admitted, and Buffy shook her head.

"He loves you y'know.  Just because he has not been paying that much attention to you doesn't mean he does not love you."  Harry shrugged and Buffy sighed.  "That's not all, is it?"

Harry shrugged, and Buffy moved closer to him.  "I can't get to know you if you keep shutting me out Harry."

His eyes met hers, and he glared, his jaw set.  When he spoke, it sounded muffled because he was speaking through clenched teeth, but Buffy understood every word.  "I'm not the one doing the shutting out, Buffy."  Buffy was speechless as those green eyes so similar to hers stared at her in utter loathing.  Before Buffy could say anything in reply, Sirius entered the kitchen and started to smile at the pair, but frowned when he saw the position the two were in.  

"Harry?  Buffy?"  Sirius asked carefully, and Harry turned away.  Buffy sighed, and cast an apologetic look to Sirius, before standing up and making to leave the room.  As she passed Harry, he grabbed her hand and Buffy turned her head to look at him.

"You can't shut me out forever Buffy."  He whispered.

Buffy stared back at Harry, and she smiled a crooked smile.  "You don't know me Harry.  You don't know what I've been through.  I've been through more than you can't even fathom, and I'm not even twice your age.  If I open up, you won't like what you see.  Trust me."  And Buffy left the room, leaving an angry Harry and a confused Sirius behind.

***

Harry and Buffy remained angry at each other until they arrived at King's Cross Station.  Molly had come to see Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione off, and Buffy, Lupin and Snuffles accompanied Molly, for 'protection'.  It was a great shock when Lupin revealed he would be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts this year, and everyone was tremendously excited, for last year they had had a useless teacher, Professor Umbridge.   Thankfully, now that the Ministry of Magic believed that Voldemort was back, they were not interfering with Hogwarts anymore, and had let Dumbledore hire whoever he wanted.  Hagrid was supposed to back also, but Hermione, Ron and Harry would not be taking that class.  Harry was to be taking Defence Against the Dark Arts, Charms, Transfiguration, Potions and History of Magic.  Ron was to be taking the same subjects as Harry and Hermione was doing all those subjects apart from History of Magic and in its place, Arithmancy.

Buffy went to the platform with everyone to see Harry and everyone off.  She hugged Ginny and Hermione tightly, who she had grown to like very much and vice versa.  Ron blushed as he said good-bye to her, and Harry muttered a quiet good-bye to Buffy.  Buffy rolled her eyes, and took Harry at the elbow and dragged him away from the group, dodging students and parents as she pulled him along.  Stopping near a wall, she turned to Harry. 

"I don't want us to part on bad terms, ok Harry?"  

Harry's expression, which had been stone cold, softened, and he nodded in agreement.

"Me neither."

Buffy breathed a sigh of relief and she smiled.  "Look, I'm coming to Hogwarts in a week, why don't we talk properly then?"  Harry nodded, and he made to go, but Buffy stopped him.  Buffy looked with a curious gaze at something around Harry's neck and she fingered it carefully, a smile growing on her face.

"What are you doing?"  Harry asked in surprise as Buffy pushed aside the collar of Harry's shirt.  Buffy followed the gold chain and held the pendant in her hand.  

"I can't believe you still have this."  Buffy breathed softly, and Harry looked perplexed into her eyes.

"Aunt Petunia gave it to me for my birthday this year; she said my mum gave me this."  Harry explained, and Buffy shook her head negatively.

"No she didn't.  I gave this to you at your first Christmas.  I transfigured it in class.  I was so proud of it.  It was advanced Transfiguration for my age and McGonagall was so impressed.  I decided to give it you, 'cos I loved you so much."  Buffy remembered fondly, and Harry smiled.

"Thank you."  He said genuinely, and Buffy found that she had tears in her eyes.  She swept Harry in a hug, her head leaning on his shoulder.

"I thought about you so much, don't forget that.  I was so worried that my nephew would grow up without a proper aunt; I was so worried that you wouldn't remember me.  When you were born, you were the most special thing in the world.  I loved you so much, never forget that, ok?"  Buffy said, looking up at Harry.  Harry nodded, and smiled genuinely.  

"Harry!  Let's go!"  Ron shouted from the train, and Buffy let go of him.

"See you in a week?"  Harry asked, and Buffy nodded.  Harry ran up to the train and jumped onto the step as it started to move, grinning at Molly's yelp of surprise.  Harry gave one last smile to Buffy and he disappeared into the carriage of the train.

Ahh…cuteness.  So Harry and Buffy are on speaking terms…let's see how long that lasts eh?

Please review, comments greatly appreciated!


	15. Back to Hogwarts

Hi everyone!  Fanfiction.net is working (kinda) again, so I'm happy!  I was on a major hyper/high thing today, so I thought I should update, because I haven't done that in a while.

fairysk8r:  Thank you very much.  Yeah, I don't like Harry that much and that will become even clearer as you read the story, but do not worry; I will let him have some happiness!

Anne-Marie:  Thank you very much, and I think Petunia may come into it a bit more, because I think deep down, Petunia does care for Lily and Buffy, and hopefully I'll bring Petunia in again.

Miz: Thank you, newcomers are always welcome!  Yes, both slayers are going to Hogwarts, do you really think Faith would survive living in a place like the Black house?  *Grins*.  So there will be lots of fun, and more Buffy interactions, particularly with a certain Potions master…*grins*

For all those of you who wanted more Sirius/Buffy interaction, you'll have to wait a bit, because this chapter takes place at Hogwarts.  And for all the Draco lovers out there…*grins* I'm not going to say anything for the time being, but…*grins* I've got some things in store for him, and even more in the sequel…

Chapter 16.  Back at Hogwarts.

"What do you think of her?"  Ron asked and Harry's head snapped up to look at him.  

"What do you mean?"

He rolled his eyes.  "Buffy.  Your aunt, remember?  We haven't talked about her so far.  How you taking it?"  

Harry shrugged.  "It's weird you know?  All this while, I had another aunt.  I mean, she's cool and everything, but…"

"It's hard?"  Hermione asked, concerned.  Harry nodded.

"She knew about me all the time, and never thought to contact me."  Harry said, his voice rising at every word.

"She was kidnapped from her only family when she was eleven.  That has to be traumatic for her, Harry.  Think about it from her view!  She's a slayer; she has more important things to think about, like evil and demons."  Hermione reasoned.  Harry shrugged.

"It just would have been easier with her around, that's all."  Harry said quietly, and the group fell silent.  They were all worried for Harry.  He seemed so distant from everyone now, it was scaring them.  But they did not know about the nightmares that haunted Harry's sleep, the face of Cedric, the fall Sirius took last May, the screams of his mother, and, surprisingly, the face of Buffy when she was bit by the Master, tears running down her face, blood staining her pale skin, the Master's cool hands on her white dress.  And of course, Harry's friends did not know about the prophecy that occupied almost every waking moment of his mind, the feeling of dread when he thought that it was either him or Voldemort, _kill, or be killed_.

Harry sank into a reverie, his thoughts lost in nightmares and prophecies, but he was snapped out of it at Ron's shout.  HermH

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU'RE WITH HIM?" Ron shouted at an unfazed Ginny.

"Dean and I had our differences, so we broke up.  And I ran into Seamus in Diagon Alley the other day and he asked me to the first Hogsmeade trip."  

Ron looked as if he was going to blow up, his face was tomato red and the tips of his ears were scarlet.  Hermione giggled and sat next to Harry who was watching with an amused smile.

"I'M NOT HAVING MY SISTER GOING OUT WITH THAT PRICK!"  Ron shouted, and Ginny glared at him.

"What's wrong with Seamus?"

"HE'S…HE'S…HE'S…I'M NOT HAVING YOU GOING OUT WITH ANY BOYS."  Ron bellowed and Ginny stood up angrily.

"What do you mean?  You're not the boss of me!"

"You're too immature Ginny!  First, you went to the ball with Neville, and then you went out with Corner, then Dean and now Seamus!  You'll have dated the entire boy population at Hogwarts by the time you leave school."  Ron argued, and Ginny rolled her eyes in astonishment.

"Ronald Weasley, you are something else."  She said, before walking to the compartment door.

"Where are you going?"  Ron asked suspiciously and Ginny smiled mischievously.

"I'm going to ask Seamus if he'd like to make out with me in the toilets."  And with that, she left the compartment, grinning at a steaming Ron. 

Ron angrily pointed a finger at the space Ginny had recently occupied and glared angrily at Hermione and Harry.  "Can you-can you believe she's doing this!" 

Hermione giggled and pulled Ron's arm to make him sit down.  "She's a girl Ron, a very pretty one at that and you expect her not to be like that.  Besides, I don't think she meant that about Seamus and the toilets."  Hermione reassured Ron and his face turned from red to pink.

"But, but, you're not like that Hermione.  I mean, you're bloody gorgeous but you don't go gallivanting off with boys like 'Seamus Finnigan'."  He argued irritably, not noticing that Hermione was blushing.

Harry grinned at Ron, and he promptly flushed a deep scarlet as he realized what he had just said.  Avoiding Hermione's gaze, he said that they had better go to the Prefect's meeting and he ran out, not looking back.

"You'll be alright here Harry?"  Hermione asked, her face still a bright red.  Harry nodded.

"Sure, you go on.  See you later."  Hermione nodded to him and quickly walked out of the compartment, leaving Harry to himself.  

***

"Firs' years this way!  Firs' years this way, oi!  Stop fightin' you two!  Firs' years!"  

Harry felt an enormous feeling of happiness as he stepped off the train and onto the platform.  He had finally returned to Hogwarts, a place he loved more than anything else.  Hogwarts was his home, a place where he felt safe, where he felt comfortable.   He grinned as he spotted Hagrid towering above the other students, his long curly beard reaching down to his waist.

"All righ' 'arry?"  Hagrid shouted, and Harry grinned at Hagrid, waving to him and then hurrying after Hermione and Ron, pushing his way through the mass of students that were standing on the platform.  Many of them smiled and greeted Harry, but Harry just carried on, hopping onto a carriage with Hermione, Ron, Ginny and surprisingly Seamus.  

The journey to Hogwarts was uneventful; Ron kept on casting glares at Seamus who was sitting opposite him and next to Ginny.  Hermione turned pink every time the carriage hit a bump and caused her to touch Ron, and Harry just kept his gaze outside, watching the magnificent castle on the cliff draw closer and closer.  

As soon as they reached Hogwarts, Harry felt truly at home, and he had a large smile on his face as he followed Ron and Hermione to their seats in the Great Hall.  Lupin smiled at them from the Teacher's table, Hagrid waved at them vigorously and Snape sneered at them.  

Yes, this was home.

***

The Sorting hat gave another song about all the houses becoming friends, being on extra guard and a few lines on hope.   There were a large number of first years this year, but only five were sorted into Slytherin, whereas ten were sorted into Gryffindor.  

The feast was excellent, and everyone caught up with things they had been doing over the summer and the results they had received for their O.W.Ls.  Before they knew it the feast was over and everyone had turned their eyes to Dumbledore, who stood up and looked especially intimidating and powerful in the dim lighting provided by the candles that hung in mid-air.

"Now we are stuffed to burst, I want to make a few announcements.  Tryouts for the Quidditch teams start in two weeks.  Mr Filch, our caretaker has taken the care to remind me again that magic is not to be used in the corridors in between classes, and there is a list of things which is forbidden also, which consists of almost all products from Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes.  I must remind everyone-everyone-that the Forbidden Forest is still forbidden.  Now, as for teaching changes, Professor Trelawney will be teaching Divination with assistance from Firenze.  Professor Hagrid will resume teaching Care of Magical Creatures, and I am delighted to welcome back Professor Lupin who will be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts."  There was a burst of applause from the Gryffindor table and Lupin flushed a dark red as he grinned at Harry who was clapping the loudest.

"That's insane!"  The shout caused the applause to stop and Dumbledore looked curiously to the person who had done the shouting.

"Excuse me Mr Malfoy?"  Dumbledore asked calmly and all heads swiveled round to look at Malfoy, who was standing up, receiving grins and words of encouragement from the Slytherins around him.

"You're mad!  He's a werewolf!"  The first years broke into whispers and cast horrified looks up to Professor Lupin.  Hermione glared at Malfoy from her seat.  "He could kill us!"  Hermione twitched, her jaw was set and her fists were clenched with anger.  "He shouldn't be allowed in public!"  Malfoy continued.  Hermione dug her nails into her palm.  "He's a disgusting, dangerous half-breed!"

"Shut your mouth you bastard!"  Hermione yelled, standing up from her seat and pointed her finger angrily at Malfoy.  Ron and Harry gaped at her, astonished and the Gryffindor table burst into applause.  Malfoy sank down in his seat, a flabbergasted and slightly impressed look on his face.  Hermione blushed and sat down quickly, smiling at her housemates who were congratulating.  Lupin smiled at her thankfully from his seat and the corners of Dumbledore's mouth twitched.  Snape looked positively livid.

"Ten points from Slytherin and three points from Gryffindor."  Dumbledore said quietly, but his voice seemed to command everyone's attention and Hermione looked dismayed that she had already lost points for her house. 

"Now, I have a few security notices.  Due to Voldemort's return" Several people fell off their benches from the shock of his name "no first year is allowed out after dark, and older students must travel in groups outside in the dark.  Students allowed on the Hogsmeade trips must return at Hogwarts at dusk and there is no excuse for anyone who is out in the corridors after curfew.  We will be having a large number of guests arrive during the year, and I would like everyone to be on their best behaviour.  It has also come to my attention that a number of Educational Decrees were drawn up last year.  None of these are effective anymore, and clubs such as Dumbledore's Army" he winked at Harry "are quite welcome.  It has also come to my attention that a certain number of students were part of a group called the Inquisitorial Squad.  They, of course, have no power now."  There was a burst of applause and Malfoy and his friends looked incredibly glum.  "I think that is all for now, if you would like to make your way to your beds, have a good night."  

Everyone got up to leave and the Hall burst into noise as everyone left as Hermione made sure that the first years were following Ginny and the other prefect, Susan Reeves.  Hermione squeezed in between Harry and Ron as they were walking up to their dormitories, and Hermione blushed at their gazes.

"What?"  She asked, and Ron answered her.

"You were bloody brilliant."

"Don't swear Ron."

Ah, I love Malfoy.  And Snape.  And Spike.  So they will have large parts in these stories, especially Malfoy and Snape…Malfoy more in this one, Snape more in the sequel.  So if you like these two Slytherins stick around, if you don't…tough.

Please review!


	16. Dancing and Talking

Hi everyone!  Thanks for all your reviews…I'm glad everyone liked the Ron and Hermione bits!

Just to clarify, there are spoilers up to Season Four and including Season Four in Buffy, but there are also spoilers for things which are not Dawn related which happens in Series 5 and 6.  So Dawn is not in the story!  (Yet)

Miz:  Yes, Spike will be coming into this, and I've got fun-ness for him!  And he will be good, not evil!

Dreamer Child:  This has a lot more Buffy in it; I only did the Hogwarts gang in that chapter because it was the first day, so it was kind of important.  But in the next chapter, Buffy and Faith will be going to Hogwarts, so everyone will be together.  

Lolly6:  Hehe, loved your ramble!  Yes, Harry will be mean to Buffy till about Halloween, and then he'll be ok.  And Snape…his relationship with Lily and the whole Marauder thing will be developed and explored more.

Sam-453:  Get on with your new one!  I'm calling it 'that one' from now on, and I will bug you forever and ever!  

Now, onto the chapter!  Oh!  Btw, I may not be updating for a bit, depends how long my parents ban me from the computer…I'm supposed to be working, well, that's what my parents think anyways…

Chapter 17.  Dancing and talking.

It was very quiet without the children at Sirius' house.  It was still used for meetings, but since Harry and his friends had left for Hogwarts, and everyone had started work, things were much quieter.  Buffy liked it though; it was more private for her and Sirius to talk.  They were friends, nothing more and Buffy thought it was for the best.  

"What's on your mind, B?"  Faith asked, sitting at the kitchen table opposite Buffy.

"Huh?"  Buffy asked, snapping out of her dream.

"You've been kinda out of it, girl."  Faith explained.  "Missing LA?"

"Kinda, y'know, miss my friends and all."

"And Angel, huh?"  Faith said, her eyebrows rising mischievously.

"Who's Angel?"  Charlie asked as he entered the kitchen with Sirius.

"B's boy."

The smile on Sirius' face faded and he sat down next to Buffy.  "Boyfriend?"

"Ex-boyfriend."  Buffy corrected, but Faith rolled her eyes.

"Come on B!  You and Angel have been on and off for more then ten years now!  Every time you pop into LA, you guys do some lip smacking.  And there was definite kissage going on when you told us you were leaving, am I right?"  Faith asked, and Buffy nodded.

"Yeah, kissage was made, and then Dumble-d interrupted us.  'Sides, you know me and Angel could never get it together."  Buffy protested.

"Why?"  Asked Charlie, and Buffy sighed.

"It's complicated."  She answered.

"Forbidden love, Charlie-boy.  Buffy and Angel have loved each for like forever, but they always have an excuse not to do anything about it."  Faith said, and Buffy crossed her arms against her chest.

"It's not excuses."  She pouted, and her friends laughed.  "Angel and I are not getting back together, and that's final.  You should tell Tara that as well, she seems to have her heart set on getting me back with Angel."  

Faith acquired a playful grin on her face, and Buffy felt slightly apprehensive. 

"Faith?"  Faith stood up and walked to the door.  

"I'm juiced.  You wanna dance slayer?"  Faith asked, and Buffy grinned.

"Been waiting for it."  Buffy said, jumping up and following Faith into the room where Buffy had brought back Sirius.  The room was now cluttered with training equipment, swords and daggers hung from the wall; a beam was placed at the side of the room, axes and a troll's hammer that Buffy had taken from Olaf, a punching bag and a chest containing crossbows, arrows and holy water.

"What are you two doing?"  Charlie asked, a concerned look on his face as Faith took out a sword.

"You'll see.  Stand back and watch the show."  Buffy said, and Sirius and Charlie exchanged glances, and then stood against the wall.  Buffy took out a sword and swung it in her fingers, then faced Faith.  "Ready?"  

"Ready B."  Faith said, before she attacked.

Buffy dodged the attack and grinned at Faith.  Faith lunged, and Buffy parried right and left, and then sent a mid-air kick to Faith's head that sent her flying across the room.  She regrouped, and attacked again.  Charlie and Sirius were amazed, Buffy and Faith moved so fast that it seemed humanly impossible.  They attacked, dodged, kicked and punched so swift that the two men watching were sure that one of them would get hurt.  Both women had large smiles on their faces, it appeared that they loved doing this.

"All we need is mud, eh?"  Charlie whispered and Sirius chuckled.  

"You tired B?"  Faith taunted, and Buffy shook her head.

"Never.  I'm going to win."  Buffy grinned, and Faith shook her head.

"Never."  

Faith delivered a roundhouse kick to Buffy and then punched her gut that sent Buffy smacking into a wall.  Faith sidled up to her, sword still in hand and grinned.

"Give up?"  Faith asked, and Buffy nodded.  Faith took Buffy hand to help her up and then moved to put away the swords, but Buffy kicked Faith in the legs which sent her tumbling to the floor.  Panting, Buffy crouched down next to her.

"Never let your guard down Faith."  Buffy said, before putting away their swords.  Faith jumped up, and dusted herself off.

"I meant for that to happen."  She argued, and Buffy grinned.  Faith took Charlie's hand and led him to the door.  "Don't go into your room B!"  She yelled, before disappearing with Charlie in tow.

Suddenly, Buffy was aware that it was only Sirius and her in the room.  She glanced over to him and found that he was staring at her, his blue eyes watching the way she moved as she tidied things away.  

"What?"  Buffy asked, putting her hands on her hips and facing Sirius.  Sirius stood up and walked over to her.

"I just can not get over how…short you are."  He grinned, and Buffy poked him in the ribs.

"Good things come in small packages."  She said, and Sirius nodded.

"Don't I know it."  He said, looking her over appreciatively.  

***

Hermione sat in a secluded part of the library; many books spread out in front of her, parchment in full supply and quill the ready.  Her hair was tied up in a messy bun, several chestnut curly strands were loose from the band and it gently framed her face.  Hermione was the only one in the library, it was twenty minutes till the library closed and nobody really wanted to cut it short.  But Hermione was working on an extremely hard D.A.D.A essay that she had been set earlier today, and she wanted to get it out of the way.  It was the third day of school, and she had already been set three essays and an Arithmancy project.  Sighing, Hermione ran a hand through her hair, not caring that she had made it messier.  

"Are you stuck on that too?"  A voice asked her, and Hermione did not look up, but nodded.  "Need any help?"  Hermione glanced up and the person and gasped.  Sitting on the table next to her, fiddling with a Golden Snitch was Draco Malfoy.

"What do you want Malfoy?"  She hissed, and Malfoy smirked.

"Always on guard Granger.  I thought you could use some help." 

Hermione eyed him carefully, and then glared at him.  "Not from you, that's for sure."

Malfoy grinned and looked at her book.  "I've been set the same thing you know."

"That's because you're in my class, you dolt."  Hermione argued.

"Taking lessons from the Weasel in swearing?  Tut tut, Granger, I thought you would be better than that."  

Hermione stood up abruptly and shut the book Malfoy was looking at.  "What do you want?"

"A lot of things, but I only want one thing from you."  Malfoy answered, and Hermione narrowed her eyes.

"Which is?"

"Not telling just yet, but trust me, you'll find out."  He said, jumping off the table, Snitch still in hand.

"How's your father Malfoy?"  Hermione asked spitefully, and Malfoy glared at her.

"In Azkaban, thanks to your friend, Potty."  He spat.   Hermione met his gaze defiantly, staring into his cold grey eyes with her warm brown ones.

"Oi!"  Ron and Harry ran up to Hermione, brooms in hand.  "What's he done to you Hermione?"  Ron asked, casting an angry glare at Malfoy.  Malfoy grinned, and turned away.

"Catch you later, _Hermione_."  He said, before disappearing behind the bookshelves.

"Are you alright?"  Harry asked concernedly, and Hermione nodded.  The boys helped her pack up her things and lead her out of the library.  "Are you sure?"  

"I'm fine Harry.  He just wanted to talk."  Hermione explained, and Ron snorted.

"The day Malfoy just wants to talk is the day Snape is nice to Neville."

Malfoy grinned to himself as he watched the trio leave the library.  He threw the Golden Snitch up in the air and caught it, a satisfied smile on his face.  First stage achieved.  Communication.

Short chapter, but things are gonna get good soon!  

Next chapter:  Buffy and Faith go to Hogwarts!

Please review!


	17. Letters and Hogwarts

Thank you for everyone with their comments and helpful little things…I'm glad to know you all like it!

Hinomi:  Action will be coming…just not yet, wait for a while, ok?

Miz:  No spike/buffy…it's just that there will be an amusing (depends how you look at it) situation involving Spike…that's all I'm saying!

For all of those who are confused about Malfoy…good…that's exactly how I want you!

This chapter is dedicated to Elsawriter, who has done a fantastic job with her story 'Redemption'.  Congratulations…and good luck with the sequel…I'll be reading!

Chapter 18.  Back at Hogwarts: receiving letters.

Dear Buffy.  And Faith.

How are things in London?  I hope you're having fun!  I received your last letter, I'm so happy you made up with Harry!  Good for you Buffy!  And don't worry about Sirius; I'm sure you'll figure out your feelings soon.  When I gave Tara the letter to read, she said that she's still fixed on getting you and Angel together, but I'm sure she'll grow out of it.

We miss you.  Things are really different here.  And different in a not good different way.  There are more demons now, more vampires and more people being sired.  It's not of the good Buffy.  Angel, Spike and Gunn went and checked it out, and lots of demons were all sent here.  By a 'rising power', I'm guessing Voldemort, right?  Well, it seems to me, Voldemort's rounding up an army.  I remember Dumbledore saying that he had a lot of dark creatures on his side last time Voldemort was in power.  I'm presuming hellish dark creatures.   Things aren't looking so good Buffy.  We're trying to do research, but there is not much.  I'm thinking that you'll have a better chance researching from England, because that's where Voldemort's reign was strongest.  Spike says that many of vampires were into Voldemort's ideas, you know, the killing aspect of it, and he says that the vampires who are not too proud to be lead by someone will join Voldemort.  They are making there way into England in packs, or so Angel says, so be careful.  Buffy, I'm worried.  This isn't like anything we've seen.  Things are going to get bad, and it's going to get bad real fast.

Anyway, on a lighter note, Giles is leaving for England in three weeks.  He says that you have to visit him; otherwise he'll get all lonely.  He's threatening actually.  We all miss you, (and Faith obviously).  Spike is taking it a bit badly, he wants to come to England and see you, but I've told him to wait a while.  Anya is getting bigger everyday, and Xander is getting more annoyed everyday.  He'll be glad when the baby is out, I'll tell you that. The baby is due in November, so a while to go now, but we're all helping her.  Angel's been broody a lot more.  He misses you.  And as for Tara and I, well, we've hit a rough patch.  Tara thinks I'm using too much magic, so she gets all huffy and puffy whenever I do a spell.  Things will be sorted out soon, I promise.  Tara's a keeper.

I'll see you soon, hopefully.  Be good, and don't get hurt.

Love you.

Willow.

Buffy sighed as she finished Willow's letter.  The letter carried bad news, and Buffy was not in a mood to receive it.  It dismayed her to think that Willow and Tara were hitting a rough patch, because they seemed so right for each other.  And it was also terrible that demons and vampires were getting together.  The last time they did that…Buffy did not know the last time they did that.  Voldemort had demons and vampires joining forces, and that worried Buffy.  Buffy had shown the letter to Dumbledore, and he was equally worried about it.  He had asked Snape, who a spy for the good side, to keep an ear out for any information on this subject.

"Things will be ok, B."  Faith had said, but Buffy was not sure.  Buffy had a very bad feeling in the pit of her stomach that seemed to never go away.  She could ignore it, yes, but it would still be there, every time she would lay her head to go to sleep, when she sat down, when she was walking, even when she was patrolling.  Something was going down, and it was bad.

There was not much for her to do on the Order side of things.  There had been some murders, but by the time the Ministry and the Order had arrived there, there were no Death Eaters in sight.  Dumbledore had instructed Buffy and Faith to keep on the demon side of things, but despite what Willow had said, things were quiet.  Buffy was glad she was going to Hogwarts.  She had not seen it for many years, and she loved the castle.  She had talked Dumbledore into letting Sirius come with her.  Dumbledore had learnt his lesson; Sirius could not be cooped up for too long.  Harry would have a shock when he would see Sirius though, for Harry had no idea Sirius was coming to Hogwarts with Buffy.  Faith was going with Buffy also, and Charlie was going to be stopping by regularly.  It seemed that Charlie was taken with Faith, but Faith, being Faith, was not quite sure where it was going.  When Buffy had asked about it, Faith had just shrugged and said 'we'll see'.  Buffy had a sneaking suspicion though, that Faith liked Charlie more than she would admit, and Buffy was glad. It was about time Faith settled down with a guy.

Buffy, Faith and Sirius were leaving for Hogwarts tomorrow, and once again, Molly had prepared a special dinner for them.  Lupin had come over from Hogwarts, including the twins, Moody, Tonks, Diggle and Fletcher.  Bill had gone back to work in Egypt and Charlie was going back to work tomorrow in Romania.  Buffy was extremely tired, her elbow was on the table and she was leaning her head on it, her eyes closed shut every couple of minutes and she was finding it hard to eat.  Faith it seemed, had the same problem.

"Are you alright?"  Tonks had asked, and Buffy yawned.

"Tired."

"Me too."  Faith said, her head leaning on Charlie's shoulder.  "Slayer dreams come back in full, B?"

Buffy nodded. "You too?"

"Yep."

"What do you see?"

"You dying."

Buffy was wide awake now. "You see me dying?"  Buffy asked and Faith nodded for confirmation.  "How…"

"How do you die?"  Faith finished, and Buffy nodded.  "It's in some big room, and there are kids all around us.  We're all there, Scoobies, Angel I think as well.  And these guys are trying to get Harry.  And you protect him, and die in the process."  Buffy was silent.  "It's not a prophecy B.  I don't think so anyway."  Faith added for reassurance, but Buffy was not convinced.  It could have been just a dream, nothing more, but to slayers, dreams could mean everything.  "What do you see B?"  Asked Faith, snapping Buffy out of her thoughts.

"The past, the future.  My sister and mom."

"Real mom or Joyce?"

"Joyce.  My sister and mom warns me about things, but when I wake up, I can't remember them."  Faith nodded understandingly.

"I get the Mayor sometimes.  He says things, tells me things, says I have to keep my head down, and tells me I have to be careful.  Tells me something big is going down, and he doesn't want me to get hurt."  Buffy felt guilty.  She knew that the Mayor Wilkins was the closest thing Faith ever got for a proper father, besides Giles, and while Buffy knew it was right to kill him because he was evil, she still felt guilty for taking him away from Faith.

"Faith, I'm sorry." 

Faith shrugged and closed her eyes.  "Don't worry B.  It's not your fault you killed him." The occupants of the table snapped their eyes to Buffy.

"Still, I-"

"Drop it B."  Faith said loudly and angrily, and Buffy stopped.

***

"What was that earlier, with you and Buffy?"  

Faith closed her eyes and she sighed.  "It's complicated Charlie."

Charlie shrugged and took her hand.  "You can tell me."

"B and I have history.  Bad history." Faith explained and Charlie nodded, quietly asking for her to go on.  It was almost the middle of the night, and everyone was asleep, save Faith and Charlie who were in the kitchen, alone.

"You can tell me, Faith."  Charlie repeated, when Faith did not say anything.  Faith winced.

"Look, I can't alright.  You won't like what you hear, I promise you."  Faith said angrily, and Charlie let go of her hand.  Faith sighed again and looked at Charlie.  "My past is dark, and you won't like it Charlie."  Charlie only shrugged in response.  "I can't tell you.  Not yet."

Charlie raised an eyebrow.  "Not yet?  You mean…"  Faith nodded and grinned.  She pulled Charlie closer to her and kissed him.

***

It was mid-afternoon when it was time to go.  Buffy had packed almost everything, including weapons.  Faith had not brought much with her in the first place, so she was taking everything she had.  They did not know when they would be back at the Order to stay, but Buffy and Sirius would be coming back for meetings.  

Sirius was to posing as their dog at Hogwarts, as Sirius was still charged with murder and an escapee from Azkaban he still could not go out in public human.  Faith, Sirius and Buffy were going to be staying near the Gryffindor common room, so they could be close to Harry.  Dumbledore had said that there was a lot of space in the school, and if Buffy wanted some of her friends to visit, they would be more than welcome.  But for now, Faith was enough.

Since the three were the only ones in the house, there was no one to say good bye to.  Molly and Arthur had gone back to the Burrow, and all the other Order members were at work.

"Are you two ready?"  Sirius asked, and Buffy and Faith nodded.

"Don't you love these things, B?"  

Buffy grimaced. "Call me old fashioned, but I prefer it when we don't disappear into thin air."

"Only ten more seconds to go."  Sirius said, and he placed a finger on a mangy old boot.

"Where are we arriving?"  Buffy asked Buffy and Faith mirroring his actions.

"Dumbledore's office."  He replied.  "Two…one…"

***

"Do you know the answer, Mr Potter?"  Harry shook his head, and Snape looked as if he had been expecting that answer all along.

"Of course not."  Snape walked to the front of the room, his black cloak billowing behind him.  "For homework, I would like everyone to write up what we have done in class.  I expect no less than three feet of parchment.  That will be all."  Harry quickly packed away his books and glared at a smirking Draco from across the room.

"Remind me why I am taking Potions?"  Harry asked to his friends.

"Because you want to become an Auror."  Hermione answered and Harry nodded.

"You're going to have to remind me every lesson, Hermione."  

"Harry, it wasn't that bad."  Hermione scolded, and Harry made an objective sound.

"For you, who have all the books memorized off by heart, it's not that bad."

"Well if you just study, you'll be fine."  Hermione chastised, as they made there way back to Gryffindor common room.  It was the end of the day and they needed a rest.  
  


"I can't study all the time; I've got too many things to think about.  I'm the Gryffindor Quidditch captain; I've got to think about that, everyone is coming up to me and asking if we're going to start Dumbledore's Army again, and Voldemort's back, so I've got a lot of things on my plate!"  

Hermione and Ron looked annoyed as they entered the common room.  "We know all this Harry, don't shout at us."  Ron said, and Harry smiled apologetically. 

"Sorry, I didn't mean to."

"It's alright, come on, let's put our books away and go to dinner.  Buffy and Faith should be here."  Hermione advised and Ron and Harry went up to their room while Hermione went to hers.

By the time they actually arrived downstairs for dinner, it was later than they had expected.  The trio had run into Filch, who had given them a warning about whips, Peeves, who had tried to attack them with brooms and socks, and Colin Creevey, who had spent ten minutes talking to Harry about his holiday.  

The trio hurried into the Great Hall and looked for Buffy and Faith on the teacher's table.  Seeing them next to Lupin, Harry had waved and Buffy and Faith had gotten down from their places and walked quickly to Harry and his friends, with:

"Snuffles!"  Harry said happily, and the great big black dog ran to Harry and was embraced tightly.  "What's he doing here?"  He asked Buffy when they had finally caught up. 

"I persuaded Dumble-d to let him come."  Buffy said, grinning at Harry's reaction.

"Is it safe?"  Hermione whispered to Buffy, ever the worrier.

"As long as he stays as a dog, he'll be fine."  Buffy said, ruffling the hair on Snuffles head.  Snuffles barked, and the students around them looked over worryingly at the large dog.  Buffy hugged Harry quickly and grinned at his school uniform.  "You look so smart."  She said, ruffling his hair, and Harry scowled.  He patted his hair, trying to make it flat.

"You're fighting a losing battle kid."  Faith joked, and Harry stopped.

"I'm not a kid.  _Aunt Faith_."  Harry added, laughing at Faith's annoyed expression.

"Hey!  What's the deal?"

"Buffy said to call you that, said it would piss you off."  Harry explained, the trio laughing at the glare Faith gave Buffy.  Buffy grinned slyly.

"Why don't you call her Aunt Buffy?  She is your aunt after all."  Faith suggested, and Buffy's face dropped.

"Harry, don't you dare."

"Sorry, Aunt Buffy."  Harry laughed, as Buffy poked Faith in the ribs.  

"I feel so old when you say that!"  Buffy said, shuddering.

"What you would give to be twenty five."  Faith teased, and Buffy scowled.

"Shut up you."  Taking Faith by the hand, Buffy waved to Harry.  "See you later kid."  She said, leading Faith back to the table.

"Bye _Aunt Buffy_."  The three chorused, and Buffy shrieked.

"Don't call me that!"  She yelled before taking her place at the table, Snuffles following her.  The three sat down at the table next to their fellow 6th years, who had been watching the five greet each other.  

"Who was that?"  Dean asked, eyeing the three closely.

"Buffy, Faith, and their dog."  Harry answered them.

"Why were you calling her your aunt?"  Lavender asked, leaning past Seamus to hear Harry's answer. But Harry did not answer because Dumbledore stood up to make an announcement.

"We have two visitors today, and they shall be staying for quite a while.  Miss Buffy Summers and Miss Faith…"

"Just Faith Big D."  Faith said, and the Great Hall erupted in laughter at Faith's name for their Headmaster.

"Miss Buffy Summers and Miss Faith have come here from the US, and are personal friends of mine.  Miss Summers lived on the active Hellmouth for many years and is a slayer," Gasps erupted in the Hall, and Buffy blushed, "and I am sure Miss Summers would be glad to answer any questions you have.  Miss Faith is also in the same position as Miss Summers and will also answer you're questions.  They are to be treated as teachers, and I am sure you will show them the utmost respect."

Next chapter…Snape and Buffy stuck in a classroom together…

Please review!


	18. Snape, Songs and Screwing

Thank you everyone for the reviews!!!  Makes me very happy!

For those of you who wanted good Snape and Buffy funness (can't think of another word to describe it) I hope you like this…it's a bit weird…that's all that can be said…

Hmmm…I haven't done this in a while, might as well start it up again…Sam-453, update!  And witchlight…update!  And shootingstar19…update!  I'll set Sneha on you…J

On with the chapter!

Chapter 19.  Good magic.

Faith loved the castle.  The magic, the paintings, and the ceiling of the Great Hall…everything was amazing.  It was like being a kid again, Faith walked around in circles, trying to take everything in.  She had tried to attack the talking portraits, but after Buffy had recovered from laughing, Buffy had explained that the occupants moved.  Buffy had already been to Hogwarts, but she still could not get over how amazing it was.  Her excitement was easier contained than Faith's however, until she got to the portrait, where behind it laid her room.

 "Drusilla."  She said, her eyes narrowing, and the mini Drusilla smiled at them, holding a doll in her hands.

"The slayers Miss Edith…the slayers are here…the stars said they would…the stars say something is coming…Miss Edith is being naughty…the rot in the fruit…"

Buffy rolled her eyes and said the password 'Hellmouth' and the portrait swung open.

The rooms where Buffy, Faith and Sirius were staying in were amazing.  There were three bedrooms, a bathroom and a living room.  The theme was red and gold, Gryffindor colours for Buffy and Sirius.  The living room had red couches, wooden desks and a large bookshelf with books on slayer's and the Dark Arts.  Buffy's and Faith's room were next to each, with a door adjoining them and Sirius' room was across the living room.  Buffy's room had been equipped with weapons, daggers, swords, axes, everything Buffy could want.  Her bed could fit three people in it, and it was adorned with a red and gold spread.  Faith's room was the same, but the colour red was more of a dark, blood red compared to the light red of Buffy's room.  There was a fireplace in the living room, carefully placed torches on the walls created the perfect atmosphere for the slayers.  To make it more believable that Sirius was Buffy's dog, Dumbledore had placed a special bowl and dog bed in the corner of the living room that had the name 'Snuffles' written on it in gold.  

"B, is this living or what?"  Faith exclaimed happily, jumping onto the red couch.

Buffy was inspecting the large bookshelf, reading the titles on it.  "'History of the slayer', 'Dark Arts for Beginners', 'So you want to kill you're Boss', these books are amazing Faith!  Giles would love it!"  Buffy proclaimed, taking out a book called 'History of Spells'.  She sat down on the chair at the desk and started to flick through the pages.

Faith kicked off her boots and laid her head on the armrest.  "I could get used to this."  She said, closing her eyes.

Buffy grinned and shut the book and returned it to its place on the shelf.  The portrait door opened and Dumbledore and Lupin entered.

"Is your accommodation suitable for your liking?"  Dumbledore asked and Faith opened her eyes and grinned.

"It's great Big D!"  Dumbledore raised an eyebrow at Faith's excitement.  Faith laughed as Buffy kissed an astonished Lupin on the cheek and then picked up a dagger from the table and threw it up and caught it in the air.  The two girls were acting as if they were drunk, but the truth was, they were just very happy.

"Such good magic, Will would love it here."  Buffy proclaimed, laughing as Sirius looked surprised at the two slayers- as he left his bedroom-which were giggling and acting as if they had too much to drink.  Buffy threw up the dagger once more and caught it between her hands.   Sirius hurriedly took the dagger from her and Buffy frowned.

"Let's keep you away from sharp objects, ok?"  He said, and Buffy nuzzled her head into his shoulder.

"I think they will be back to being 'normal' by tomorrow, Remus."  Dumbledore reassured a worried looking Remus, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

"What's happening tomorrow?"  Sirius asked, Buffy's head still on his shoulder.

"Buffy will be taking my class for a couple of days.  Severus will be helping her, it'll only be the 6th years, they are learning about famous vampires and I thought they could use some of your expertise."  Lupin informed them, and Buffy looked at him.

"Yeah, 'cos me and Snape get on so well."  Buffy said sarcastically.  "Why aren't you taking the class?"

"I'm feeling a bit…ill, and I do not think I'll be able to."

"Full moon tomorrow, huh?"  Buffy asked, and Lupin looked surprised.

"How did you know?"

"We're slayers!  We can sense that kind of stuff."  Faith explained.

"Do you lock yourself up?  Oz used to lock himself in the cage in the library."  Buffy said, talking mostly to herself.  Buffy frowned and looked at Faith.  "Why did Giles have a cage in the library?"

"To do dirty stuff."  Faith said cheekily, and then she fell silent.  Simultaneously, both slayers shuddered with disgust.

"He slept with my mom you know."  Buffy said, and they shuddered again.

"Twice."  Shuddered again.

"How do you know that?"  Faith asked with a revolted look on her face. 

"When I could hear thoughts, my mum thought it."

"Where was I?"

"Evil."

"Oh."

Thankfully, Buffy and Faith were better by the morning.  They no longer acted ditzy and Buffy was perfectly able to take the D.A.D.A classes.  Thankfully, she had only three to take, and two of them had Harry and his friends in.  Sirius and Lupin had not asked about the conversation Buffy and Faith had had when Buffy had said Faith was evil, and it appeared they would not.

Buffy arrived early for the class, and sighed as she saw Snape was already there, looking through papers and books.  He glanced up at her as she walked in and scowled.  Apparently he was not too happy about teaching with Buffy.

"Why doesn't the expert take the class, Miss Summers?"  Snape said icily.

"Well then you have no need to be here."  Buffy retorted, and Snape glared at her.

"I do not need your help."  He said roughly, and Buffy smirked.

"Vampires and demons are my gig Snapey, magic is your thing.  So trust me when I saw I don't need _your _help."

Snape sat behind the wooden desk, his black greasy hair falling around his face.  The classroom was large, the walls were stone and there were paintings on the walls.  Buffy grinned as one of the paintings occupants waved at her; she still couldn't get over how cool it was when the people moved.  Faith especially loved the paintings.

"What's the topic for today's class?"  Buffy asked, inspecting a large sword on the wall.

Snape's upper lip curled.  "Vampires, Miss Summers."  He said coldly, watching Buffy as she looked at the objects in the room.  "Why do you not wear traditional wizard wear?"  He asked, noticing her attire, black leather trousers and a red shirt.

"Not my kind of thing." Buffy replied.  "I can't move in them."

"How long have you been a slayer, Miss Summers?"  

"Twelve years."  

Snape raised an eyebrow.  "Impressive."  He said, and Buffy grinned.

"I thought I'll never see the day when you would compliment me."  

"It was a one off."

"Figures."

Voices were heard and Buffy quickly sat on the desk, in front of Snape who was seated on the chair.  He scowled as Harry and his friends came in and stopped suddenly as they saw Buffy.

"Hey guys."  Buffy greeted, and the trio took their places in the front row, opposite Buffy.

"What are you doing here?"  Hermione asked, taking out her books.

"Full moon tonight."  Buffy said simply, and Hermione made an 'o' shape with her mouth.

"So it's just you?  Great, I thought it would be Snape."  Ron said excitedly, not noticing Snape behind Buffy.

"Mister Weasley, Miss Summers and I shall both be taking you."  Snape said icily, and Ron's face dropped.  "And it's Professor Snape, Mister Weasley.  Five points from Gryffindor."  

The class filled up shortly, most students who were taking D.A.D.A were the students who had been in Dumbledore's army.  The students taking D.A.D.A were split into three classes, with students from each house in every class.  Unfortunately for Harry and his friends, Draco Malfoy was in their class too, with some of his friends.  He smirked at Hermione and took a seat a row behind them. 

Snape had come out his hiding place behind Buffy and the class immediately fell silent.  Neville, who was seated near Harry, met Snape's cold gaze unflinchingly, it seemed that the escapade he had gone on with Harry at the Ministry had done wonders for Neville's confidence.  Snape smirked and stood in front of the class, ignoring Buffy whose legs were swinging and hitting the table with a rhythm similar to 'three blind mice'.  

"Professor Lupin is feeling…under the weather, so Miss Summers and I shall be taking class today.  Professor Lupin has given his permission for us to start a new topic, Vampires and Demons, which, fortunately, Miss Summers specializes in."  Snape told the class, and everyone's attention was on Buffy, whose legs were still swinging.  And it was starting to annoy Snape.  But he tried to ignore it.  Tried.

"Does anyone have any questions for me?"  Buffy asked, a smile on her face as she saw from the corner of her eye Snape clench his fist in annoyance.

Dean Thomas raised his hand, and Buffy nodded to him.  "Do you like being the slayer?"  He asked, and Buffy frowned, her legs still swinging.

"Well, at first, I hated it.  I mean, imagine being told at eleven that if I became the slayer, I probably wouldn't live past my twenties."  Most of the students looked sorrowfully at Buffy, every pupil feeling extremely sorry for the young blonde.  "But I'm twenty seven; I'm the oldest and the most powerful slayer in history, and I love being a slayer.  It's a part of me, and I wouldn't change it for the world."

Padma raised her hand and Buffy nodded to her.  "What was it like living on the hellmouth?"

"The hellmouth is the mouth to hell, and most people are drawn to the energy, especially vampires and demons.  Every year I lived there, there was always some big shot vampire trying to end the world.  Of course, I killed them."  Buffy added with a smile.  

Parvati raised her hand.  "How did your parents take it?"

Buffy frowned.  "I moved to Sunnydale, the Hellmouth with my mum.  My parents separated before that, so my dad never found out.  My mum wasn't too happy.  She knew I was a potential, but she never found out I had actually become a slayer until two years after I had."

"One more question."  Snape ordered, and Harry raised his hand.  Buffy grinned and nodded to him.

"How come there are still vampires and demons, even though we have people like you trying to get rid of them?"

"There are probably always going to be vampires.  Vampires can sire anyone they want, and don't forget, some crazy vampire or demons are always trying to end the world, or make hell spill onto earth.  There are demons and vampires in other dimensions, but people like me try there best to keep the number of vampires and demons small.  If there weren't a slayer, there would be a lot more demons and vampires in this world.  But, not all demons are bad.  In fact, my godson's mother used to be a demon.   She was a vengeance demon and she has lived over a millennia.  And, I know two vampires who fight for good, who both are very good friends of mine."  Buffy explained a smile on her face as she thought of Angel and Spike.

"Moving on.  Turn to page fifteen and read the passage on the Scourge of Europe.  Take notes."  Snape instructed, and Buffy turned her head to look at him sharply.

"Scourge of Europe?"  She asked loudly, and Snape scowled.

"Do you have a problem with that, Miss Summers?"

Buffy grinned.  "No, it's just that I know those four vampires.  Well, I had the pleasure of meeting all four of them and I regularly see two of them."

"Wicked."  Seamus blurted out and Buffy grinned.  

"Read."  Snape ordered, and the class obeyed.

Buffy glared at him.  "Spoilsport."  

The class started to take notes, and it was silent, except for the persistent banging on the desk Buffy legs were doing.  It was starting to hurt her feet, but she did not care, for she could see Snape getting annoyed at every bang.  She changed the rhythm, to the American Anthem, and Snape clenched his fists.  Hermione looked up at Buffy, and Buffy grinned.   It was such a pleasure pissing off Snape.  The bangs could louder, and Buffy started to hum.  She had almost the entire class's attention, half of the students were watching her, and the other half were watching Snape, watching that vein on his temple bulge, his fists clenched.  Buffy changed the tune again to 'hit me baby one more time', and the muggle-born students giggled.  Buffy started to sing quietly, one eye closed, the other fixed on Snape.   Her singing got louder, and she knew it was not a pleasant experience.

"Hit me baby one more time."  She sang louder, and Snape banged a fist on Neville's desk, making Neville jump with shock.  Snape glared at Neville, than at the students who were laughing, Harry was in stitches.  Even Draco's mouth was quirked up.

Snape walked quickly to the desk and glared at Buffy, who was still humming and swinging away.  "Would you desist?"  He hissed, and Buffy opened her eye, grinning.

"Come on Dracula, sing with me."  She said, swaying on the desk, grinning.  Snape huffed exasperated.

"Do not call me that."  Snape whispered icily, his face inches from Buffy's.  Buffy opened her eyes, smiling cheekily at him.

"What shall I call you then?"  Buffy asked, and Snape almost growled at that annoying smirk she was wearing.

"Snape will do fine."  He hissed.

"Not Sevvy?  Dracula?  Snapey boy?  Cranky pants?  Mister-I'm-so-evil-so-I-glare?"  Snape slapped his hand on Buffy's mouth, stopping her from saying anything else.

"Snape will do fine."  He repeated, a dangerous glint in his eye.  Buffy nodded and Snape removed his hand, turning away from her and walking down the aisles, inspecting the students work.  Buffy grinned at Hermione, and once again, she started to swing her legs on the desk, this time with a rhythm to Star Wars.  

Snape growled.  _This was going to be a long lesson._

Oh, I thought I'll leave you with this:

"So then-"

Harry was cut off though, when Dumbledore entered the through the portrait door, his hands on the shoulders of a tall slender woman with red hair, who's head was buried in her hands.

"Willow!"  

Please review!


	19. Occlumency and a Distressed Guest

Hm…you know what I realized?  This is the longest story I have ever written…sorry, random weirdness, but I just had a thought and I thought I'll share it with everyone…*cough cough*

I just want to say thanks for all the reviews!!!  I'm so happy…I am, I am!

I hope everyone had a good mother's day yesterday, if you only gave your mother a card, shame on you!  I gave my mum George Michael album, which I am seriously regretting because now the house is filled with his music.  Argh.  And for all the mothers out there, I hope your children gave you nice stuff as well, almost all my friends gave 'love actually' to their mums, as it did come out on Friday.  Hm…unnecessary rambling here…oops.

Ooh!  Before I go on to answer reviews and stuff, for everyone who has the 'love actually' dvd, they MUST watch the extras…especially the deleted scenes!  The one with the little kid, (can't remember his name) when he's running through the airport and then he does all this cool gymnastic stuff, it's so wicked!  So watch it!

Ok, now for all of your reviews!

Jadez Fire:  I take it that you like Star Wars then, eh?  When I was younger, about six or seven, I had a major obsession with Star Wars, I had every single film on video, but I'm not obsessed now…hmm, I'm really rambling today aren't I?

Blondi gurl:  Not to be rude or anything, but there are other countries in the world besides the US.  I'm not trying to be rude or anything…so don't take offence.  But yes, I have heard of the sweetest thing, and I have seen it.  Are you talking about the scene in the restaurant, where they all dance and stuff?  Hm, that would have been fun…

Renna:  Thank you, and who said I was getting Sirius and Buffy together?  If you want any romance with Buffy, you're going to have to wait a bit, but not that long I promise!  

The Critic of Good Stories:  Voldemort and them lot will be in it soon, I will get them in soon, in fact I'm in the process of writing some Voldemort action.  To me, this story is seeming a bit rushed, so I want to slow things down a little bit, otherwise it will be just a bit jumble of crapness…and that's never good.

I have to do this, because I think people are getting confused.  The only slayers are Faith and Buffy, so there was no Season 7.  Or Season 6, but there will be elements of it.  Especially with the Willow side of the season.  And the whole Glory, Dawn thing…never happened!  Dawn is not alive…yet.  Just to clarify, this story follows Buffy series up to season 4 and including.  After that, it goes kinda off.   There are certain spoilers for episodes in Series 5 and Season, such as Olaf and such, but not a big deal, and certainly nothing to do with Evil Nerd guys and hell gods.  Ok?  Got that?  Good.  

Woah.  I've rambled a hell of a lot, haven't I?  Hm, very weird.  

Please review!

Chapter 20.  Occlumency and a distressed guest.

Harry set off for the Quidditch pitch, Ron and Ginny behind him.  The Gryffindor tryouts for the Quidditch team were today, and as Harry was the captain, he was to be choosing the replacements.  And it was something he was not looking forward to.  It would be hard to replace Angelina, Alicia and Katie, and Harry was dreading it.  Because Harry's lifetime ban of Quidditch was lifted, Harry was back to being a seeker.  Harry had apologized profusely to Ginny, but she did not seem to mind as she was keen to try out for Chaser.  Jack Sloper and Andrew Kirke had taken Fred and George's place as beaters, but Harry was prepared to try people out for as many positions as possible, to see if Jack and Andrew were better at being Chasers.  

A lot of people had turned out for the tryouts, including Seamus and Dean, Colin Creevey and his brother, a fifth year and a number of second and third and fourth years Harry did not know.  They all looked expectantly at Harry as he approached them and Ginny took her place next to Seamus, at which Ron scowled at.

"Er, hi everyone.  I'm glad you came, er, I'm going to split you into three teams and we're going to play a game, only without the seeker."  Harry instructed, and with Ron's help, he separated everyone into teams and the first two teams rose up into the air.  Harry let the Bludgers go and they whizzed past him.  He kicked off the ground, mounted on his precious Firebolt and the Quaffle in his hands.  He tossed it in the air, and the game begun.  Harry hovered on his broom away from the game, noting the abilities of the players.  Ginny appeared to be a brilliant Chaser, and she worked well with another girl in the same year as her, Nisha Shah.  

Jack Sloper and Andrew Kirke were not exceptionally good at Beaters, they did not work as well together as Fred and George had, but Harry's hopes were pulled high when a girl and boy in the Second Year, twins known as William and Alexia Hope worked well together and were almost as good as the Weasley twins had been. 

Ron had seemed too improved over the summer, he seemed more at ease on his broom and he achieved some impressive saves.  It was nearing dusk when the tryouts finished and Harry thanked everyone and announced that Ginny, Nisha and a third year, Matthew Hart were the Chasers, and William and Alexia were the Beaters.  Andrew and Jack seemed a bit put out at Harry's decision, but they forced a smile and saved their complaints until they were back in the castle.

Harry ran up to Ron and asked him if he could put away the equipment, as Harry was late for an Occlumency lesson with Snape.  Ron agreed and he wished Harry luck and Harry ran up to the castle, broom in hand.  

Unfortunately, Harry still had to have Occlumency lessons, and he had to have them with Snape.  Snape still hated Harry, and the feeling was mutual on Harry's part, and it seemed that Snape hated him even more since Sirius came back, even though it had not been Harry's doing.

Harry grimly walked down the stairs to Snape's dungeon, with each step a sense of apprehension growing in the pit of his stomach.  The last time Harry had had an Occlumency lesson, it had not gone well.  Even though it had not been a proper lesson, Snape had been absolutely furious with him.  Harry had put his head in the Pensive and had seen Snape's worst memory.  And that memory just happened to involve his father.  Harry only hoped that Snape would not be angry about that still, but that was like asking Ron to enter a cave with a ten foot spider.

Harry reached the door and gently pushed it open.  He entered the room, it was exactly the same as it had been last year, the room was dimly lit, and the shelves were lined with dusty jars of bits of animals and plants and on the desk lay the Pensive. 

"Close the door Potter."  Snape's voice erupted from the shadows, and he jumped, just as he had done at his first lesson.  He closed the door, and just like his first lesson, he felt that he was imprisoning himself.  Snape moved into the light, dangerously close to Harry.  Snape's arms were crossed and his looked at Harry with contempt.  "I have not forgotten what happened last time we met for this lesson, Potter," he said icily, his cold black eyes staring at Harry, and he met Snape's gaze unflinchingly.  "And I do not expect that to happen again, is that clear?"  

"Yes sir."  Harry said through clenched teeth, his grip on his broom tightening.

"Unfortunately, your stupidity cost your godfather's life, but thankfully, we have been blessed with Sirius' return to us."  Snape said sarcastically.  "Thanks to your wonderful, _aunt_." Again, he sounded sarcastic and his gaze of contempt increased, as if it were Harry's fault that Snape had met Buffy.  "Who is, utterly _delightful_."

Harry felt his temper rise.  It was true that he did not care much for Buffy; his feelings towards her had improved since he had met her, but not enough for him to actually care a great deal about her.  But Buffy was his mother's sister, and it hurt that Snape was talking so ill of someone close to his mother.

Snape raised his wand to his temple and a silvery substance came away as he withdrew his wand, and it fell into the Pensive.  Snape did this twice more and then he carefully placed the Pensive on the shelf.  He turned back to Harry and Harry took out his wand, nervousness growing inside his stomach.

"Have you practiced since we last met, Potter?"  

Harry felt something sink to the bottom of his stomach as he realised the answer.  No, he hadn't.  His pause gave Snape the answer, and Snape's lip curled.

"This will be interesting."  Snape said coldly, and Harry braced himself.  He tried to clear his mind of all emotions and he let his broom fall to the ground as he took out his wand.  "Brace yourself…_Legilimens__!_"

He was lying on the ground, Dudley beating him to a pulp…Dementors were gliding towards him…Aunt Petunia was telling him he was a worthless piece of scum…he saw Hermione's petrified face…

Harry was on the floor, his head buried in his hands and he had fallen against the shelf; pieces of glass were lying on the floor, bits of animals and plants on the stone.

"Reparo."  Snape muttered and Harry groaned.  Harry stood up and Snape scowled at him.  "You are not trying hard enough."  Snape scolded and Harry nodded.  "Again."  Harry braced himself; he tried his best to clear his mind.  "_Legilimens__!"___

Harry was watching Dudley being fussed over by Petunia and Vernon…Vernon was telling him his parents did not care about him…Cedric's dead face… He saw Buffy fall into the water…

"I know I know, I'm not trying hard enough."  Harry said bitterly, his back against the desk.  He stood up once more and scowled at Snape who was looking at him strangely.

"That last memory, that was not yours."  Snape said as a statement, and Harry nodded in agreement.  "How long have you been receiving your aunt's memories?"

"Two weeks I guess.  It's not all the time."  Harry replied.

"Have you ever asked her about it?"  Snape asked.

Harry scowled. "She's not the sharing type.  Whenever I ask her something, she never tells me the truth about it, why would she tell me the truth if I asked about her memories?"  Harry asked angrily and Snape looked at him curiously.

"You do not get on with your aunt."  Snape said again as a statement.  Harry nodded, but then shook himself mentally.  He was having a heart to heart with Snape! 

"It's none of your business."  Harry said rudely, but Snape did not reprimand him.

"Again.  _Legilimens__._"

_"Not Harry! Not Harry!  Please-I'll do anything-"_

_"Stand aside little girl-"_

Harry fell to the floor, his scar burning in pain and surprisingly Snape helped him up.

"Concentrate Potter."  Snape said, but his voice was not as cold and as hard as it had been before.  Harry nodded, his hand held to his scar.

"Can I go?"  He asked, and Snape shook his head.  

"One more go, Potter.  Try harder this time; clear your mind…release all emotions …_Legilimens__!"_

Harry saw Sirius' gaunt face…Pettigrew was knelt on his knees pleading to Harry…Ron fell from the chess piece as the Queen destroyed it…Death Eaters came towards him…but he could see Snape standing in front of him…the Death Eaters were fading and Snape was growing clearer…

Harry raised his wand and Snape was thrown backwards against the wall, his wand clattering to the floor next to him.  Snape panted heavily and stood up, putting his wand away.

"Good."  Snape said, and Harry could not believe his ears.  Had Snape just complimented him?  "I expected you to achieve this stage earlier, but you obviously have a weak mind."  Scrap that thought, Snape was just being mean to him.  "You may go, but do not forget to practice."  Snape instructed, and Harry nodded, taking his broom and ran out of the room.

***

Buffy heard a knock at the portrait door and she opened it, smiling as she saw Harry, Ron and Hermione there.  She ushered them in, and they entered the room, taking a seat on the couch.  It had been three days since Harry's lesson with Snape.  

"Hey guys, what can I do for ya?"  Buffy asked, taking a seat opposite Hermione.

"I wanted to see Sirius, is he here?"  Harry asked, and Buffy felt her heart sink.  Harry was still acted icy towards her and it upset Buffy very much.  Harry had not told her why he was acting like this, and Buffy tried not to press it, because she could unintentionally make it worse.

"I'll get him."  Buffy said and knocked on Sirius' door.  Sirius opened it and grinned as he saw his godson.

"Hello Harry."  He greeted and he took a seat next to his godson.  "How are you?"

"I wanted to ask you something."  Harry said, and Sirius gestured for him to go on.  "Was my mother ever friends with Snape?"

Sirius was baffled as to why Harry had asked this, and Sirius voiced his thoughts.

"It was something Snape said today.  It just got me thinking."  Harry explained and Sirius nodded.

"At one point, Lily was.  That was before Snape became friends with Malfoy and that crowd.  We weren't really friends with Lily that much, Lily hated us and James hated Lily up till his fifth year, when he developed a crush on her.  Remus was the only one who she could stand."  Sirius answered and Harry nodded in thanks.

"So then-"

Harry was cut off though, when Dumbledore entered the through the portrait door, his hands on the shoulders of a tall slender woman with red hair, who's head was buried in her hands.

"Willow!"  Buffy cried and rushed to her friend's side and Willow threw her hands around Buffy's neck and sobbed harder.  Buffy looked helplessly at Dumbledore and she lead Willow to the couch, where the Hermione moved to make room for her.  Buffy sat Willow down and Willow buried her head in her hands, her shoulders heaving as she cried.  The door to Faith room opened and the brunette rushed out, her clothes on muddled on her body and Charlie followed her, breathless.

"Will?"  Faith asked softly, crouching on the floor in front of Willow.

"Tara broke up with her."  Dumbledore said softly and Willow made a cry of anguish and her shoulders heaved violently.

Buffy hugged Willow carefully and sorrowfully, Willow's tears drenching Buffy's shirt.  

"She…she…said I was…u-using too m-much m-m-magic."  Willow sobbed her, head returned to their hiding place in her hands.  

"Is this true Will?"  Buffy asked, rubbing Willow's back soothingly.  

Willow's shoulders heaved once more, and Willow gasped.  "I-I can't Buffy.  S-She's my e-everything."

"Are you using too much magic, Willow?"  Buffy asked again softly, and Willow lifted her head giving Buffy a chance to see her eyes.  Buffy gasped.  Willow's eyes were black; there was no white.  

"H-help m-me Buffy."

Ah, sadness.  This might be taking a similar turn like Series 6, but I'm not quite decided on that yet.  But all that is happening is that Willow is getting more powerful…no talk of flaying guys alive and trying to destroy the world yet, ok?

Sam-453:  Update!

Please review!

P.S:  I don't know when I'll be updating next, because I'm going to Dorset on a GCSE field trip thing on Sunday, but I'll try my best to get the next chapter up before that, or immediately after I get back, on Wednesday week.  


	20. Fireworks

I decided I can squeeze in two more updates before I go, mainly because the next chapter is mega exciting. (I think so anyway)  
  
I'm gonna skip the big babble till later, I did a lot of that last time...my apologies.  
  
Chapter 21. Fireworks.  
  
It seemed odd to Buffy that Willow had come to her, in a magic school, when Willow was trying to get away from it. But Dumbledore had assured her that is was for the best, he had instructed Professor McGonagall to help Willow. How, Buffy had no idea, but she trusted Dumbledore and she wanted the best for Willow. It had shocked her when Willow had turned up that night, her eyes black as the night. It was Buffy's fear, that Willow would lose herself in the magic's and becomes so powerful that she could not control it. And it seemed as if Willow had been going down that path.  
  
Dumbledore let Willow stay in a room next to Buffy's, creating a door that led into Buffy's room. It was not originally part of the suite Buffy, Faith and Sirius had been staying in, but Buffy felt Willow needed her near and Buffy was prepared to do whatever it took for Willow.  
  
Buffy sat on Willow bed the day after, Willow was lying in the bed, and the forest green covers drawn up to her neck. Willow's cold hand was in Buffy's and Willow's normally bright red hair was dull and lifeless and lay around her head.  
  
"Buffy?" Willow's cracked voice caught Buffy's attention and Buffy turned her concerned eyes to her. Willow had cried for hours into Buffy's arms last night, and she was extremely exhausted.  
  
"Yes, Willow?"  
  
"Am I keeping you here?" Willow asked quietly and Buffy shook her head, her eyes watering at the sight of her depressed friend.  
  
"There is nowhere else I would rather be, Willow." She replied and Willow smiled weakly.  
  
"I can't do it alone."  
  
"You won't be alone." Buffy reassured Willow, and she nodded.  
  
"She hates me." Buffy knew immediately that Willow was talking about Tara.  
  
"I'm sure she doesn't. She's just...frightened."  
  
"Of me?" Willow asked disbelievingly, and Buffy nodded sadly. "But I'm not frightening."  
  
Buffy smiled sadly and squeezed Willow's hand. "Of the things you could do. You're a powerful witch Willow. You have so much power that's just, bursting to get out. You're like a waterfall."  
  
"I don't want to be a waterfall. I want to be a stream." Willow protested.  
  
"You're always going to be a waterfall Willow. But with Dumble-d's help, you can gain control of your power." Buffy explained and Willow smiled.  
  
"When did you get so wise?"  
  
"I always was." Buffy joked, and Willow nodded.  
  
"I'm a waterfall. Tara's my water. I need her."  
  
Buffy nodded, and she kissed Willow's forehead. "You're going to get her back. You just have to do this first." Buffy said, before leaving the room so Willow could rest.  
  
Faith sat on Buffy's bed, waiting for Buffy to leave Willow's room. "She ok?" Faith asked worryingly, and Buffy nodded.  
  
"She misses Tara." Buffy said and Faith nodded in understanding.  
  
"I thought those two were going to last forever." Faith said, a shocked expression on her face. "Their perfect for each other."  
  
"It's just a bump in the road. Their going to get back together, I know it."  
  
"You know it, or you hope it?" Faith asked and Buffy glimpsed at the closed door, which separated Buffy's room from Willow's.  
  
"I hope it. She's broken, Faith; she won't be the same till she's with Tara."  
  
*** "Working so hard Granger?"  
  
Hermione inwardly groaned as she heard the familiar drawl of Draco Malfoy. She glanced sideways at him, strands of curly hair blurring her vision. She blew them away and saw Malfoy's lips pulled into a smirk, his cold grey eyes surveying Hermione. Malfoy had been acting strangely towards her since they had come back to school. It was almost three weeks into term, and September was almost over. The weather was colder, the leaves were turning brown and the visit to Hogsmeade was nearing.  
  
"What do you want, Malfoy?"  
  
"To talk." He said, slipping into the chair next to her.  
  
"You never want to talk. And don't sit down." Hermione retorted.  
  
"But I want to talk to you now." Malfoy said, looking around the library, his eyes searching for something. "Where's the Weasel and Potty?"  
  
Hermione rolled her eyes and sat back in her chair, crossing her arms against her chest. "They are in the common room. And why do you want to know?" How she wished Buffy was with her now, Buffy had yet to meet to blonde properly, and Hermione was sure Buffy would put Malfoy in his place.  
  
Malfoy grinned at her evilly, the grin chilling Hermione down to her bones. "So our chat won't get interrupted."  
  
Hermione stiffened. "I don't want to chat."  
  
"Tough."  
  
"You're not very good at making conversation."  
  
"We're talking right now, isn't that good enough?" Hermione grinned. "I made you smile, points for me."  
  
"I was smiling at your stupidity." Hermione replied and Malfoy smirked.  
  
"And I'm sure you have plenty of interesting conversations with those two friends of yours."  
  
"Minus points for that."  
  
"Did I say something wrong?" He asked.  
  
"In a civilized conversation, it helps not to insult the person's friends." Hermione responded, sending a glare at Malfoy. He held up his hands in surrender, smirking.  
  
"I have Crabbe and Goyle to talk to, so I don't really get civilized conversation." Malfoy said, and Hermione grinned. "The only words in their vocabulary are 'er', 'uh', and 'food'." Malfoy joked and Hermione laughed. The light in the library reflected in her eyes, and it danced as she laughed.  
  
"Their not the brightest stars in the sky are they?" Hermione responded and Malfoy nodded in agreement. They were silent; Hermione searched the library with her eyes and found that it was almost empty. But Hermione liked it when it was empty, that was when things were peaceful and quiet and she could do her homework in serenity. "Why do you want to talk to me Malfoy?" Even though she was not looking his way, she could feel Malfoy's cool grey eyes on her. He left the chair and made to go, but Hermione grabbed a fistful of his robes. "You haven't answered my question." Hermione hissed, and Malfoy looked slowly down at the handful of material she had in her hand. Blushing, she dropped the material and Malfoy resumed his grey eyes on her.  
  
"See you around Granger." He said, before dropping down to her height and kissing her. The kiss was quick and he hurried away, leaving Hermione in a state of shock. Her hands touched her lips as she watched the figure of Draco Malfoy disappear into the shadow.  
  
"What the hell happened there?" She whispered to herself.  
  
Behind the bookshelves, two brown eyes watched Hermione, fists had clenched when Malfoy had kissed Hermione and teeth had clamped together. Ron Weasley had just watched his best friend - someone that he cared for deeply and hoped that someday would be more than a friend - kiss the person he hated the most.  
  
He hurried outside, away from Hermione and into an unused corridor.  
  
Ron pounded the stone walls of the empty hall in frustration, the heavy thud of his fist against the stone echoing in the quiet. His hands were bloody and there was blood on the stone. He sank against the wall, his head in his hands, blood licking strands of his hair.  
  
He did not understand. Malfoy had just kissed-kissed-Hermione. And Hermione had not done anything to stop it. In fact, if his eyes had not fooled him, Hermione had been talking to Malfoy prior to the kiss, in an almost civilized conversation. What was going on?! Why was Hermione kissing Malfoy, of all people? Why not Ron? Why wasn't she kissing Ron, as he genuinely desired her to? But as Ron asked himself the question, he immediately knew the answer. He was not good enough for her. In fact, he was not good enough for anyone.  
  
He was the famous Harry Potter's best friend, Hermione Granger's closest companion, and the jokers named as Fred and George's little brother. No one ever knew him as Ron Weasley. He was always second best.  
  
Ron looked up as he heard footsteps, and in the dark, he could see an orange light, glowing and floating in the dark. But then a person could be seen, her brown her glimmering from a torch half way down the hall. She walked up to Ron and sank down to the floor opposite the red head, eyeing him all the while.  
  
"What's up kid?" She asked, smoke wandering from the white stick in her hand.  
  
"What's that?" Ron asked, ignoring the question, and Faith answered.  
  
"Cigarette. Muggle thing, it's bad for you. Wanna try?"  
  
Ron shook his head, distinctly remembering Hermione having complained about such a thing. He scowled and Faith raised the cigarette to her lips and took a long drag.  
  
"Something bothering you kid?"  
  
"I'm not a kid." Ron growled and Faith raised an eyebrow.  
  
"I'll take that as a yes." Faith said, and Ron rolled his eyes.  
  
"So are you going to talk about it with me, give me the heart to heart and tell me that everything's good?" He asked bitterly, and Faith blew out smoke from her mouth, the white cloud of it rising up into the air.  
  
"I'm not good at the heart to heart thing Ron." Faith said and Ron nodded in agreement.  
  
"You don't seem the type."  
  
Faith looked at him from under her curtain of her, her brown piercing eyes gazing into Ron's hazel ones. "I could though. You seem all angsty, and that just ain't healthy kid."  
  
"You don't know what I'm going through." Ron said through clenched teeth, and Faith shrugged.  
  
"You're probably right. But you know what? I've been through worse."  
  
"Yeah. You're a slayer, a hero. Center of attention, person everyone looks to for advice. I bet everyone knows you as Faith the vampire slayer! But me, I'm just..."  
  
"Harry Potter's friend?" Faith finished and Ron nodded. "Well, I've been through that."  
  
Ron looked sharply at Faith, a curious and almost untrusting look in his eyes. "You have?"  
  
Faith flicked her cigarette, bits of hot ash settling on the stone. "Probably not exactly the way you're going through, but I know bits of it."  
  
Ron had his eyes fixed on the blackening ash on the stone; his mind seemed to just focus on it and not on the growing contempt for his friends. "Tell me." He said in an unemotional voice.  
  
"And will this help you, or will I just be poring out my life story?"  
  
Ron shrugged, stubbing his toe on the stone. "Maybe. I'll decide when I've heard it."  
  
Faith chuckled and dropped the cigarette on the floor, stubbing it out with her heel. "All right, but anything I say here is not to be repeated, you got that?"  
  
Ron nodded and Faith started. "I'm not going to tell you much about my childhood, except for the fact that it was shit. My dad left when I was too young to remember him and my mum died when I was teenager. I found out I was the slayer, and it was the best thing that happened to me. I got the hang of being a slayer for a while, and then I went to Sunnydale after my Watcher got killed. I thought Sunnydale was going to be perfect for me, I would fit in, fight evil and I would get on something wicked with the other slayer. But I didn't.  
  
"See, Buffy had friends and family that she had worked so hard to achieve their love and respect. They had formed this kind of group and it was damn hard to get in. So I didn't. I was friends with B, sure, but we weren't tight. Not at first. But we kinda got to understanding each other, and we were closer then we'd rather say. But that weren't the problem. I was the slayer with Buffy and we had the same amount of power. The problem was, Buffy's friends were all close to B. She was the leader; she was the one they turned to when they had a demony problem. Not me. Everyone was like, why can't Faith be more like Buffy, why can't Faith act like B? But no one, not one said 'why can't B be more like Faith? Or 'we like Faith the way she is'. Not one.  
  
"It was later, years later when B and I were talking that I learnt the truth. See, I wanted to be more like her, have the stable family, and have the close friends. And B wanted to be more like me, carefree, fun, and cool. It was odd, I wanted to be like B, and she wanted to be like me. And that's when I learnt, that I was completely different from Buffy, in a good way. I had things to offer that B didn't, and it was cool with me. Now, you may be talking to the wrong person here, 'cos I know Xand would know how you're feeling, but you got me. See, my guess is that your feeling overshadowed.  
  
"Harry's the hero guy, Herm's the brainy one, and where do you fit in? I'm guessing you want to be more like Harry, be recognized in the street, and have lots of money. But you know what? Harry ain't got any family. Well, he does, but he grew up in a family that hated him. You grew up in a family with people who loved you for who you are. See, I bet Harry would give up loads to have what you have. To have the family, the security. Now I know this probably won't help you straight away, but think about it kid. Harry would give anything to have what you have, and you would do the same for him. And you know what else? You may not be brainy like Hermione, or be the boy-who-lived, but I've heard what you've done. You've gone after Voldemort with your friends, you confronted your fear of spiders, you've done a whole lot, and you don't even have superpowers. You're brave. That's what sets you apart from the others. You have no need to be there, you ain't the boy-with-a-scar, or a smart kid like Herm, but you're brave. And that is commendable and incredibly special. Now what does that tell ya?" Faith stood up, dusting off the seat of her jeans, while Ron sat deep in thought. Casting one more look at the red head, and feeling extremely pleased with herself, Faith headed back to her room.  
  
When Ron had returned to the common room, his hand cleaned from the blood and his feelings set almost at ease, Hermione had seemed distracted as she sat and listened to Ginny and Harry talk, her hands unconsciously fingering her lips. Even though Ron still hated the fact that Malfoy had kissed Hermione, his insecurities about his place in the group were gone, and only one disgusted look at Hermione satisfied him.  
  
Ok, babble time!  
  
For all those who want Harry to be nice and be nice to Buffy, you are going to have to wait. It will come eventually, I promise you this, and I'm actually in the process of writing it. So it's coming. Just wait.  
  
Sam-453: I saw...hm...telepathic thing here, innit? *Grins* And don't be so childish, geez, act your age...you scar me for life, you did! (It's like disappeared now, but oh well)  
  
Blondi gurl: I'm sorry if I was rude...I was in a weird mood that day, so forget everything said, k?  
  
Charmedfanatic3000: GCSE GCSE GCSE GCSE GCSE GCSE GCSE... I could go on forever, but GCSE's!!!  
  
Whew. Now that's over, thanks for everyone else who reviewed, and please review again...please? 


	21. Another Apocolypse?

Thanks for all the reviews…you guys rock!

Blondi gurl:  I haven't decided yet, but if he was, it would be with Hermione.

Sammy:  You don't have long to wait…

Dreamer Child:  Hehe, so I guess you don't like Malfoy and Hermione?  I'm not quite sure what's going to happen with those two yet, I don't know if they will become a couple or not…you'll just have to wait and see.

Enjoy the chapter…lots of action in it and some of you may be happy about some of the things that happens.

Chapter 22. Another apocalypse?

The lessons for Willow seemed to help her a lot; she seemed to be making a lot of progress with Professor McGonagall.  Professor McGonagall's sister was a squib so she had learnt Wicca magic, with McGonagall's help.  Wicca magic was different from wand magic; wand magic required magic within, whereas Wicca magic required magic from the earth and therefore needed a lot more control.  It was control Willow did not have, and with McGonagall's help, it was apparent that she was making progress.  It also helped that Willow had a goal to reach, if Willow could gain control of her magic, Tara would come back to her, and Willow needed Tara more than anything.

Three days after Faith's talk with Ron, the Chosen Two went patrolling together.  Charlie left for Romania and promised to be back in a week, and Willow was looking good.  The two patrolled around Hogsmeade and in the Forest, and found things…busy.  Something was happening and more demons and vampires were found than usual.  The two did not turn in until dawn and they did not wake till dusk.

Buffy was dreaming.  She twisted and turned in her bed, the covers trapping her feet as they closed in around her.  She murmured, her forehead covered in sweat.

***

It was dark.  The moon shone high in the sky, creating a glow on the clearing.  Trees surrounded the clearing, making Buffy feel like she was trapped.  A symbol painted in red was in the middle of the clearing and demons and vampires surrounded it, praying.  Three hooded figures stood at the front.  One of them poured a dark thick liquid that looked like blood on the symbol and it glowed and the ground shook.

A hooded figure turned to Buffy, and lowered it hood, brown hair spilling out around his face.

"Hey sugar."  The man said, before shoving his fingers into Buffy's heart.

The setting changed, and Buffy was still in the clearing, but the man was gone.  The ground was opening beneath her and she noticed for the first time that people around her were fighting.  She watched in slow motion as a dark clothed figure was bitten by a vampire, and the face appeared in front of her.

"Can you save me?"  Snape said and Buffy felt pain burn through her as she saw a skull with serpent protruding from its mouth rise high in the sky.

"She comes…not yet…but she will."  Buffy heard a deep voice ring through her ears as she saw people around her die at the hands of demons and vampires.

"Who comes?"  Buffy asked desperately and the scene changed and Buffy found she was looking at someone with green eyes, exactly like Buffy's ones.

"Not yet…not till the battle."  The deep voice said again as the girl's eyes bore into Buffy's.  And just as Buffy was going to ask who, the voice said something again, something Buffy knew was very important, but would forget as soon as she would wake up.  "The girl…the key."

***

Buffy awoke with a start, her blonde hair plastered to her face.  She gasped as she recalled the dream, and she screwed her eyes as she tried to remember the last bit.  Something about…someone…it was important, Buffy knew it was, but the last words that the person had uttered were gone from Buffy's memory.

But the dream, the part were the figures were crouched around the fire and the fight was important now, Buffy knew.  Buffy hurried pulled on some jeans as she was only wearing an oversized shirt and ran out of her room, only to bump into Faith, who seemed as breathless as she was.

"B?  You saw it didn't you?"  Faith asked and Buffy nodded.  "What d'ya think?"

Willow, who was seated on the couch next to Sirius, looked up from a book she was reading.  "Buffy?  Faith?"  

The two slayers looked at Willow and Buffy cracked a tired smile.  "Slayer dream."  Buffy said, casting a glance at the worried looking Harry who was seated next to Sirius and Hermione and opposite Ron.

Willow bit her lip, before thrusting an envelope into Buffy's hands.  "Came just now."  Buffy opened the envelope and scanned the letter, before sighing and running a hand through her blonde hair.

"Cordy had a vision."  Buffy said.

"What?"  Willow asked.

"Apocalypse, in two days.  Friday thirteenth."  Buffy replied.

"She got that from a vision?  Damn, PTB moving up these days."  Faith said and Buffy glared at her.

"No, apparently, word in the street is that there is going to be an apocalypse on Friday."  Buffy said.  "And someone's gonna die."

"Well, incase they don't know, we ain't in Sunnydale anymore.  Hell, we ain't even in the CA, B."  Faith replied.

"Doesn't matter.  Did you guys know there's a Hellmouth in Edinburgh?"

Faith groaned and Willow slapped her forehead.  "You're shitting me B!"  Faith complained and Buffy grinned sadly.

"Wish I were Fai, but it's all right here.  Giles says that the end of the world is at midnight on Friday, and the group of demons and vamps responsible is called the Baslets."  

"Baslets?"  Willow asked, her brows furrowed.  "How come we haven't heard of them before?"

Buffy shrugged, and folded the letter and placed it on the table.  "That's what we gotta find out.  Guys, time for research mode."

***

After reassuring Buffy's nephew and his friend's worries that the world will not end, they all settled down to research.  Buffy informed Dumbledore on the situation, and he said Buffy had the Order's help.  Help was fine, but what they needed to find out was about the demons, strengths, weaknesses and how to stop the group from ending the world.  Being Wednesday evening, they had a limited amount of time and Buffy was starting to get worried.  Until Hermione found something on Thursday evening.  

"Baslets.  A group of vampires and demons who worship four powerful demons that belong to one of the hell dimensions.  When one of the top demons die, one the next Friday the thirteenth, were forces are more wicked than usual, the remaining top demons open the Hellmouth in Edinburgh as a sacrifice ritual.  Another demon is then brought forth to take the place of the dead one."  Hermione read from one of the books and Buffy scrunched up her nose.

"Sacrifice?  Who are they sacrificing?"  

Hermione scanned the page and smiled triumphantly as she found what she was looking for.  Then her smile dropped and she read the passage out loud.

"Three sacrifices, a willing demon or vampire, a human and a magical being, preferably a slayer, but it could also be a witch or wizard.  So basically someone with magic in them."  Hermione summarised. 

"How do we stop them?"  Willow asked, and Ron leaned over to look at the book.

"The ritual must start as the day ends and another begins.  So midnight.  If we just prevent them from starting on time, they'll have to wait to the next Friday the thirteenth.  Which is in about six months time."  Ron said, his body too close to Hermione's for comfort.  

Buffy raised an eyebrow.  "We?  Who said you guys were coming?"

Harry gave her a look.  "We're helping you research.  I think that qualifies."  

"No."  Sirius said, not looking up from the book he was reading.  "It's dangerous."

"That's so unfair!"  Ron said angrily, before grinning sheepishly at Sirius who had just shot him a reprimanding look.

"Look, we appreciate the help and everything, but you guys can't come.  Sirius is right, it's dangerous."  Buffy said apologetically.

"You were doing it when you were my age."  Harry pointed out.

"Yes, but Buffy was the slayer."  Lupin retorted and Harry sat back in his seat, sulking.

Faith looked at Harry's sulking posture and sighed.  "What could it hurt B?"

"No!"  Shouted three voices at once, belonging to Buffy, Sirius and Lupin.  Faith grinned apologetically at Harry.

"Sorry kid.  I tried."  She said, before resuming her reading on a book.  

Buffy rested her gaze on Harry's body for a moment before resuming to her researching; Sirius sat close next to her, a pile of book in front of them.  Buffy's blonde hair was hastily tied up into a bun on the top of her head, strands of hair hung down from her face.  _Great,_ Buffy thought.  _Harry still hates me.  _She glanced up and saw him staring at her.  She smiled and he returned it, but it seemed more forced.  _Oh yeah, he hates me.  What is his trauma?  One day I'm just gonna put him in a room and force it out of him.  _

Buffy sighed and returned her gaze to the book, when Sirius nudged her and pointed to a paragraph in his book.  Buffy leant closer to him so she could see what he was pointing out.

"The top demons of the Baslets look like that," He pointed to a small picture of a demon with a blue face, red horns, sewn lips and black eyes.  Buffy shivered involuntarily as she felt Sirius' hot breath on her bare neck, and Sirius looked at her curiously.  "You alright, Buffy?"  He asked, his low voice sending more shivers down Buffy's spine and goose bumps on her arms.  Buffy nodded dumbly and he smiled, then put an arm around her and pulled her closer.  His gaze returned to the text, but Buffy's were still on his face.  "These demons…called Habet demons… can only be killed by decapitation.  And they can't speak, for they have no mouth, but communicate through telepathy."  Buffy scrunched her nose again as she remembered the time when she had gained a demon's power to hear thoughts.  That was not a good day.

Faith groaned loudly from across the room and stood up, stretching with a yawn.  She shook her legs and arms and winked at Buffy.  "Wanna go out, B?" She asked, and Buffy nodded.

"Sure."  She replied, removing herself from Sirius' grasp quickly and standing up also.  "Guys, keep researching, see what we can dig up about this group.  Dumble-d said he'll have the Order working on it too, so look out for them."  Buffy instructed, and she left the room, not before smiling shyly at a grinning Lupin, who had seen Sirius' and Buffy's position.

.

***

Buffy and Faith made their way quickly to Hogsmeade, stakes in their back pockets and knives in their boots.  They were to do a quick sweep of Hogsmeade and then they could head back to Hogwarts.  Hogsmeade was usually quiet, most vampires and demons knew that this was a wizard town, so the occupants would obviously know how to defend themselves.  But there were some, some vampires who were either too dumb to realize they had no hope in this town, or vampires who thought they were powerful enough to take on the town.  So mainly stupid vampires.  Faith and Buffy combed the backstreets of Hogsmeade, the main streets were bustling with people, and the vampires would not attack them in a crowded place, especially if they had wands.  

It seemed unnaturally quiet to the two slayers as they walked the alleys, only spotting one vampire on the way.  Faith dusted the vampire, and they headed to one of the cemeteries, of which there were two in this town.  One was a small, almost private cemetery, situated faraway from the town, and the other was a large one.  The large one was where they were headed.

"You worried?"  Faith asked, breaking the silence as they walked.

"About the apocalypse?  A little.  Hopefully we'll stop it.  It seems weird y'know?"  Buffy answered.

"Without the gang and all?"  Faith replied, and Buffy nodded.  "Yeah.  I kinda miss 'em."

Buffy grinned.  "Just don't tell Xand?"

"You know it."  Faith said, smiling.  

The two girls walked in silence, their stakes clutched in their hands, their eyes searching the shadow as they looked for vampires or demons.  The two girls passed under a group of trees, the sky hidden from the leaves, creating darkness.  They turned a corner, and froze.

"Look who we have here."  A vampire snarled, and several vampires behind him grinned.  There was about fifteen of them, fourteen vampires and one demon who had a blue face and looked like the demon Sirius had pointed out to Buffy earlier.  They were all wearing the same thing, black tunics and a white symbol painted on the front, of a bowl and a star.  

"You guys are the Baslets?"  Faith asked, and the leader of the group, a tall, broad shouldered one nodded.

"Slayers."  He said with a nasty grin.  There was a murmur in the crowd.  "Take one.  Leave the other."  

And the fight began.

Buffy and Faith were rushed at by all vampires at the same time, the demon stood to one side, watching the action.

"B, watch out!"  Faith yelled as a vampire rushed at Buffy from behind.  Buffy delivered a roundhouse to the vampire and deftly staked it, then jabbed with her elbow into another vampires gut.  Vampires surrounded her, and she could hear Faith fighting but she could not see her.  A vampire punched Buffy, sending her smacking into a gravestone, the force of it crumbling the stone.  The vampire strode up to Buffy, and curled his cold fingers around her neck, pulling her up off the ground.  Vampires around him grinned and jeered, and Buffy could see Faith fighting five vampires a couple of meters away from her.  Buffy twisted and squirmed, her hands were at the vampires hands, trying to loosen its grip.  She was getting dizzy, her feet were off the ground and she was running out of air.  She saw white spots at her eyes, and her movements became weaker, her arms stopped flailing and her eyelids threatened to close.  And then she fell, her feet crumbling under her as the vampire exploded to dust, Faith behind it.

"B!"  Faith yelled, moving towards her, but three vampires held her back, and Faith yelled again.  Buffy groaned, and stood up weakly.

"That's going to hurt in the morning."  She said, rubbing her neck.  The vampires looked on in shock as she snap-kicked a vampire near her, and swung at another one with a large piece of stone in her hand.  Faith grinned, and head butted the vampire behind her and then flipped him onto the floor, bringing her heel down on his heart, the vampire exploding to dust.

"Xand fitted it for me."  Faith explained with a grin, and she backhanded one vampire as Buffy staked another.  There was now seven vampires left, plus the other demon who watched.  Buffy and Faith were more confident now, and they worked together, their backs facing each other as they fought.

It happened quickly.  The leader of the vampires brought out a large dagger and plunged it into Faiths leg, making her scream in pain.  He then kicked her and she flew across the air, landing at the foot of the tree with a smack.  She lay unconscious.

"Faith!"  Buffy yelled, momentarily distracted.  That was a mistake.  The remaining vampires took the opportunity to tie rope around her hands.  Buffy screamed as the leader of the vampires ran his dagger across Buffy's midriff, red blood staining the pale blue top.  Another vampire gagged her, and she tried to get free, but she found she couldn't.  Another vampire tied her feet together, and Buffy was left helpless.  She looked terrified over Faith's body, her eyes shining with unshed tears.  The demon came forth with a large black bag, and she tried to scream, but the gag stopped her.  She struggled, but the bag came down over her head as Faith's eyes slowly opened.  Before Faith could do anything, the vampires had put Buffy in the bag, and ran off, the bag in tow.  And Faith had no strength to stop them.

Oo…cliffie…not as big as the one Sam-453 gave us…geez!  Update soon Sam-453, I think everybody wants you to!

Please review!


	22. The Calm Before

Wow...I'm guessing readers don't like cliffhangers huh? Thanks for the reviews everyone...interesting reactions!  
  
Now, onto the chapter...  
  
Chapter 23. The calm before.  
  
Faith hurried as fast as she could down the path to Hogwarts, her hand on the wound on her leg, blood staining her tanned skin. She panted, she was so tired. She was trying to hurry, but with a wounded leg, it was near impossible. Her brown hair spilled across her face, matted with blood and mud. Her face had a large cut across her cheek, her lip was busted and she was sure she would have a shiner in the morning. Cuts and bruises littered her skin, tears in her clothes spoke of a bustle and somewhere along the line she had lost her stake. She sniffed as she pictured Buffy's helpless face as she stared at her, and Faith tried to walk quicker. She breathed a sigh of relief as she saw the castle of Hogwarts come into view, but her mind was too busy to register how beautiful it looked in the half-moon light. Buffy was gone, vampires had kidnapped her, and they needed to find Buffy.  
  
With her mind on her close friend and sister slayer, she pushed herself even more to reach Hogwarts. It normally took ten minutes if Buffy and she were walking, but for Faith with her wounded leg, it took her just under thirty five minutes.  
  
She pushed the door open and hopped inside, students staring at her as she walked in. It was almost curfew time, but students still liked to cut it fine. Faith paid them no attention as she limped across the entrance hall, sending glares as students stared. She had to get to Dumbledore's office, and she had to get their fast.  
  
"Miss Whyndom Price!" A Scottish voice called out, and Faith stopped, sighing.  
  
"How many times have I told you, it's Faith." She responded. Faith had taken Wesley's name when she had busted out of jail a couple of years ago.  
  
"What on earth has happened to you child?" McGonagall hurried over to Faith, where she stood, holding her hand to her leg, dark blood spilling on to floor.  
  
"Vampires. Fight. Took B. Gotta see Big D." Faith explained, limping her way to the stairs. McGonagall stopped her, conjuring a stretcher out of mid-air with her wand. "Wicked cool, Minnie Mouse." Faith said, and McGonagall, pointed to the stretcher, a firm look on her face.  
  
"Sit." She commanded.  
  
"Minnie Mouse, I gotta see Big D." Faith replied. "No time for that." Faith protested firmly, but to her surprise, McGonagall pointed out her wand and Faith found herself lifted into the air and set carefully onto the stretcher.  
  
"Stay." McGonagall ordered.  
  
"K, but you have to tell D the deal." Faith said, and McGonagall nodded.  
  
"You three," McGonagall turned to three young Gryffindor students who were watching. "Go to the Headmaster's office and tell him that Miss Faith is in the hospital ward. Then I would like you to find Harry Potter, and tell him to find Miss Rosenberg. Tell Mister Potter to tell Miss Rosenberg that Miss Faith is in the hospital wing." The three nodded, and they hurried on their way. McGonagall turned her attention to the wincing Faith on the stretcher. "My dear, do not move. We shall sort you out." McGonagall said kindly.  
  
Faith forced a grin. "Thanks Minnie Mouse."  
  
"Do not call me that."  
  
*** "Potter! Hey, Potter!"  
  
Harry sighed and turned around, facing the grinning blonde haired boy.  
  
"What is it ferret?"  
  
Malfoy's evil grin faltered a little. "Just thought you should know something."  
  
Harry's right eyebrow rose. "And that is?"  
  
"Well, it's about those two girls you're so friendly with. Y'know, the slayers."  
  
"Buffy and Faith?" Harry asked worriedly, and Malfoy smirked.  
  
"Yeah, them. Well, Faith turned up in the entrance hall a couple of minutes ago. She looked a right state. Blood everywhere." Malfoy informed.  
  
"Why are you telling me this?" Harry asked suspiciously, feeling his hatred for Malfoy bubble inside of him.  
  
"Thought you ought to know, that's all." Malfoy said slyly.  
  
"Really?" Harry answered suspiciously. "When did you decide to be nice to me?"  
  
Malfoy shrugged. "Dunno."  
  
"Well, Malfoy, you can shove your nice attitude up your ass. I don't want to know." Harry said, shoving Malfoy roughly aside and hurrying to the hospital ward.  
  
Malfoy leant on the wall, a coy smile on his face. "Mistake Potter. Big mistake."  
  
*** Faith groaned as Madam Pomfrey forced another potion down her throat. Faith swallowed, making a grotesque face as the liquid made a burning sensation down her throat.  
  
"I don't need this." Faith protested, and Madam Pomfrey raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Oh yes you do. No arguments." Pomfrey said, and Faith sighed and leaned back onto the white bed. She was in the hospital wing, and she was the only occupant. Beds lined the walls, and several carts full of potions stood at the foot of some of the beds.  
  
"Is Red coming down?" Faith called out.  
  
"Rest, Miss Whydom-Price." Madam Pomfrey answered, and Faith grounded her teeth.  
  
"It's Faith. And I need to talk to Red and Big D, Mary Poppins." Faith said. "Mary Poppins?" Madam Pomfrey asked, as she carefully dabbed at the wound on Faith's leg with a wet cloth.  
  
"Y'know, Mary Poppins? Spoon full of sugar?" Faith explained. "Never mind. Damn wizards." She added under her breath.  
  
The door burst open and Willow ran inside, 'Snuffles' following her. "Faith!" Willow exclaimed, and Faith tried to sit up but stopped at Madam Pomfrey's protesting. "What happened?"  
  
"Patrol, vampires from the Baslets ambushed us. We fought, they took Buffy."  
  
'Snuffles' by Willow immediately changed into human, and Faith soon found herself looking into the eyes of Sirius Black. Madam Pomfrey gasped and dropped a Potions bottle, but Sirius did not even look her way.  
  
"Where is she?" He growled, and Faith raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Wicked cool. And I have a hunch she'll be at the hellmouth in Edinburgh, so we gotta get their quick." Faith explained, and Sirius nodded, worry lines etched across his face.  
  
"Right." He said, and he walked briskly over to the door.  
  
"Hey!" Willow exclaimed. "Where are you going?"  
  
Sirius turned back to look at the red head. "To the hellmouth. I've got to get her back."  
  
"Yeah ok, we're gonna do that. But you can't go rushing off to get her, one, you're a wanted criminal, two, you have no experience with creatures of the dead, and three, we're all going together. Remember, apocalypse in less than twenty four hours?" Willow said, and Sirius was quiet for a moment, then he nodded, almost against his will.  
  
"Then I'll find Dumbledore." Sirius said.  
  
"No need." A voice said, and Sirius looked to the door and Dumbledore stood in the frame. "I am here. And Miss Rosenberg is right; we cannot go and rush off. I understand that you are worried about Miss Summers, but the rest of us also care about her. I will organize the Order, and we will leave tonight to collect her." Dumbledore instructed.  
  
"Shall I alert everyone, Albus?" Madam Pomfrey asked.  
  
"Wait, she's in the group as well?" Willow asked, and Madam Pomfrey nodded.  
  
"There is no need, Poppy. I have already done so." Dumbledore answered, and Madam Pomfrey continued to tend to Faith's many wounds.  
  
"Where's scar-boy?" Faith asked, and Dumbledore stepped aside to reveal four anxious teens, two redheads, one brunette and the scar-boy himself.  
  
"Don't call me that." Harry said, walking to Faith's bed. "Are you alright?" He asked. Faith nodded, ruffling Harry's black hair.  
  
"Five by five, kid."  
  
"Five by five?" Harry repeated.  
  
"Don't ask." Willow said, smiling weakly. "It's what she says, and I still have no idea why."  
  
"What happened?" Hermione asked, taking in Faith's injuries with a gasp.  
  
"I've been asked that hundreds of times now Herm, and I'm getting fed up. Can I go already, Mary Poppins?" Faith said exasperated.  
  
"Not till I have taken care of these wounds." Madam Pomfrey huffed, pouring a liquid onto Faith's leg wound.  
  
Faith hissed as the wound stung, pain making her leg numb, but she watched with fascination as the wound closed up, and the only evidence of it ever having been there was the blood on her tanned skin.  
  
"Shit, where do you get stuff like that from?" Faith asked in amazement.  
  
"Courtesy of Professor Snape." Madam Pomfrey said with pleasure. "Now, I'll just have to take care of your other wounds and then you can go."  
  
"And when will that be?" Willow asked.  
  
"Several hours. Faith needs rest." Madam Pomfrey said.  
  
"But-"  
  
"No." The medi-witch said firmly. Faith leant back in her bed and looked over at Dumbledore.  
  
"Get the crew ready, Big D." Faith said, and Dumbledore nodded. "This is our deal, and they'll take orders from me and Red, got it?" Faith instructed.  
  
"As you wish."  
  
*** When Buffy finally woke, it was dark. Buffy was tied to a post by her ankles and wrists, and she was instantly reminded of the time her mother had tried to burn Willow, Amy and Buffy at the stake. That was not a happy memory. Buffy groaned as she felt her head pounding. She distinctly remembered the fight and when the vampires had put her in a bag, but she did not remember a time when they had knocked her out. Buffy looked at her surroundings. She was in a large clearing, surrounded by tall trees with thick trunks. The clearing was a circle, and in the middle, four black steel rods marked out a square. Four vampires sat on their heels on each side of the square, red markings on their faces. The bowed down low, then sat up again, then repeated their action. Their eyes were closed and their mouths were murmuring something Buffy could not make out. On the floor was a large symbol, which Buffy guessed was the opening to hell. This clearing was the same one in her slayer dream. Buffy looked to her right and saw with a shock, another post, like Buffy's with a young boy tied to it. He was Indian, with black short hair and was wearing jeans and a t-shirt saying 'Eat my shorts' on it. The boy appeared unconscious, his head was lolling to the side facing Buffy, but he suddenly looked up at her, his brown eyes watering.  
  
"Help." He said weakly, in a Scottish accent. Buffy could not do anything; she could not see how she could get out of this alive. Buffy was outnumbered, one to about twenty five, and she was in no position to help the boy. But he seemed so helpless, he looked about eleven, and against Buffy's better judgment, she said:  
  
"I'll get you out of here, I promise." The boy nodded, smiling weakly. He had a long cut across his cheek, but it did not seem deep, blood had already stopped flowing. "How long have you been here?" She asked quietly.  
  
"An hour, I think." The boy answered. "I dunno really, I've lost track of time."  
  
"Have they hurt you much?" Buffy asked, and the boy looked down to his feet.  
  
"They killed me mam." He said.  
  
"The slayer's awake." A voice drawled, and Buffy turned her head to see the leader of the vampires she had been attacked by before, saunter up to her. He had long red hair and brown eyes and his tunic was muddied. He was handsome, but an evil glint in his eye nerved Buffy. "And how are we feeling today?" He asked, and Buffy practically growled. He raised an eyebrow. "Not feeling up to talkin'?" Buffy spat in his face. With a growl, he wiped the spit away and leered up at Buffy. "Feisty, are we?" He said, raising an arm. "Pretty one." He said, stroking Buffy's cheek.  
  
"Bite me."  
  
"Love to."  
  
Please review! More action coming next chapter! 


	23. The Storm

Hi everyone thanks for all the reviews, I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while.  But here it is…the apocalypse!

Darla56:  Do you mean Spike?  Because Sirius is already in England.  Spike will be coming to England and Hogwarts soon, with almost all of the Scoobies.

BIGHARRYFAN: Chapter 19 is working now, sorry I did not e-mail you back…slipped my mind…sorry.

Jespheonix05:  Harry knows how much Sirius likes Buffy, and I don't think that he wants to get on bad terms with his godfather.  Sirius didn't get pardoned in the end of OOTP; at least, I hope he didn't.

Kandice:  Yep, he does know.  

Miz:  Charlie's in Romania, he'll be back soon.  I didn't do much for Harry's reaction, I should have, but I didn't.   I added something about how he took though in the beginning of this chapter.

SPASH Panther:  Just a random boy.  The demons need him because one of the sacrifices is the blood of a human.  I based him on my brother; he really wanted a cameo, so I wrote him in.    

Anyway, on with the chapter!

Chapter 24.  The Storm

Sirius was pacing.  Five steps up the room, five steps down it.  He was pretty sure he had worn the carpet down.  But he didn't care.  Buffy was in trouble.  And he was not doing anything.  Every fibre of his being wanted him to run out of the door and to the Hellmouth, but Willow's glare stopped him.  Man, that girl had some glare.  It could have frozen fire.  

"Padfoot, sit down.  You're making me dizzy."  Lupin complained, and Sirius glared at him.

"She could be dead!"  Sirius shouted.

"Could be, but knowing Buffy, she's alive."  Willow reassured, but it did not seem to work with Sirius.  

"We should go soon.  It's almost time."  Sirius said.

"We've got to wait for the others."  Lupin replied.

Sirius finally sat down, but he continued to look at the door of the hospital wing, waiting to go.  Faith and Willow exchanged grins, knowing how much Sirius liked Buffy, and vice versa.  It was a pity Buffy was set not to do anything about it.

The four sat in silence; Faith healed of her wounds and twirled a stake in her hand, Willow sat on a bed, unconsciously biting her nails, Sirius looking to the door every second and Lupin grinning at the insane behaviour of his friend.  

When the door opened, revealing many wizards and witches, Sirius jumped up immediately.  The members of the Order poured into the hospital wing and Dumbledore faced Sirius.

"Where is Harry?"  He asked.

"Bed.  He put up quite a fight though."  Sirius said.

"That kid's got some set of lungs."  Willow agreed.

"He was way upset about not going with us, to help B."  Faith explained.

"May I have everyone's attention?  This is Faith, a slayer, and Willow Rosenberg, a Wiccan Witch.  They have dealt in circumstances much like this, so they shall be in charge."  Dumbledore instructed, and all eyes turned to the young women.

Willow grinned nervously and gave a small wave of the hand.  "Hi…um…well…we uh…"  Faith rolled her eyes.

"Look, here's the deal.  World's gonna end at midnight.  We gotta stop it.  B's a sacrifice, so we gotta save her.  Vampires are killed by decapitation, or a stake through the heart, and demons should be killed like a human.  Things are gonna get rocky, if the hellmouth opens, demons and other shit will come out.  It won't be pretty.  Be careful. No one should go near the opening, otherwise you'll be sent to hell.  Got it?"  The group nodded and murmured in response.  "Right, well we're gonna have two teams.  One's with Red, others with me.  My team's the largest, we're gonna kill the bad guys and save B.  Red's team is gonna be small, and they're gonna help Red close the hellmouth if it gets opened.  If it doesn't, then you fight."

"Faith…"  Willow started, but Faith cut her off with a wave of the hand.

"Red, you'll be great.  I have faith in you, you can do it."  Faith reassured, and Willow nodded weakly.  Her hands were shaking with nervousness; she did not think she could close the hellmouth without going out of control.  While Willow was improving, she still had miles to go, and closing a Hellmouth was tricky business.  But, like Faith had said, she had faith in Willow, and Willow did not want to let anyone down, especially Faith and Buffy.

"Please crowd around a port-key."  Dumbledore instructed.  Willow took one port-key, and Faith took another, and the wizards crowded around the two girls.  Dumbledore smiled at them, standing apart from the group, as he would not be going.  Someone had to look after the school, and Dumbledore had a feeling about tonight.  He felt he would not be needed at the hellmouth.

And with a 'pop', the two groups were gone.

***

The clearing was filled with demons and vampires.  The vampires were lined at the back, in front of Buffy and the boy, and demons of all sorts of species were in the front, surrounding the hellmouth.  The three top demons were next to the hellmouth, a dead demon on the floor next to them.  They looked like the demons Sirius had shown Buffy before.  

Buffy looked to the boy next to her, and gave him a weak smile. "We'll get you out of this, kid."

"Aaron."  He said.

"Aaron?  Your name?  Cool.  I'm Buffy."

"Seriously?"

"Hey!"  Buffy said indignantly.  

"Sorry mate."  

"You ready slayer?"  The blonde vampire said, walking up to Buffy.  Buffy squirmed on the post, trying to get free, but to no avail.  The vampire laughed.  "Guess what, you're going watch all the action."  He said, and Buffy looked at him confused.  "The kid's going first.  You can watch him die."  Buffy and Aaron's eyes widened simultaneously, and the vampire laughed.  "Cut him free."  The vampire ordered and another one took a knife and cut Aaron free.  He held Aaron's hands behind his back, and Aaron found he couldn't move.  Buffy tried to get free even harder, twisting and turning as she looked helplessly at Aaron.  His large brown eyes stared fearfully at the vampires and demons around him, and together, the creatures of the dark started to chant in an ancient dialect unknown to Buffy.

"From the dark,

At the turn of day,

Except our offering,

Bring us another

To take the place,

Of the already dead."

Buffy felt her bonds being broken, and two vampires held her tightly as they lifted her from the pole.  One of the top demons lit two candles, and another lifted a small sharp knife.  It glinted in the light and it was raised to Aaron's throat.

"No!"  Buffy yelled, but before she could do anything, the demon swiped at his throat, and red blood poured from Aaron's neck onto the seal.  Buffy choked, as Aaron's dead lifeless eyes were focused on hers, and Buffy looked away, her eyes watering.  The chanting increased and the ground shook as the seal glowed and once Aaron's dead body was laid onto the seal, the blood still flowing onto the symbol.  A demon stepped forward; he had large brown horns, deep green skin and hooves for hands.  The top demon that had killed Aaron stabbed the other demon in the gut, and black blood fell onto the seal.  The chanting increased again and the ground shook once again.  The demon dropped dead to the floor, and the demons motioned for the vampires to bring Buffy forward.

"Hey!  Ugly!"  A shout broke the demons attention, and only a few continued to chant.  Faith grinned manically as she stepped through the trees, a large sword in her hand.  "You forgot me."  She said.  

Wizards and witches came out from the behind the trees, and Buffy, having found confidence, flipped her two captives to the floor and dropped to a defensive stance. 

Faith stood next to Buffy, dropping into a defensive stance also. The handsome vampire snarled.

"I'll have such pleasure in killing you."  He said, and Buffy backhand punched him, then caught a stake Faith threw her.

"So will I."  Buffy said.  And all hell broke loose.

Curses were muttered, vampires and demons dropped dead and Buffy and Faith worked side by side, Faith taking on two vampires while Buffy took on her kidnapper.  She ducked a punch and delivered a sweeping kick to the vampire's legs, sending him tumbling to the ground.  He flipped back up and kicked Buffy in the chest, causing her to stumble back, but she ducked quickly as the blond vampire tried to grab her.

Next to her, Faith had decapitated her two vampires and was locked in a fight with a large demon with an axe.  She dodged and rolled as the demon struck with the axe.  The axe came down again to strike her, but she blocked it with her sword and kicked him in the chest and then drove her sword into his chest.

Willow and Lupin were working together; Lupin fought the vampires while Willow staked them.  A vampire punched Lupin, and then backhanded Willow.  Willow fell to the ground, and looked up just in time to see the vampire lift Lupin up in the air, his hand tightened around Lupin's throat.  Lupin struggled, and accidentally pushed his wand through the vampire's chest and it exploded to dust.  Willow grinned at Lupin's surprised look.

Unfortunately for Sirius, he was working with Snape who seemed just as unhappy about the arrangement as he was.  But, they seemed to work well together, despite their differences, for when Snape 'wingardium leviosa'-ed a vampire into the air, Sirius deftly staked it.  

"Such a pretty one."  The vampire said to Buffy again, and Buffy rolled her eyes.  She punched him in the gut and then flipped him to the ground, her stake poised on his chest.

"Thanks for the ride, it's been fun."  Buffy said, before staking him.  Buffy quickly looked over to where Aaron's dead body lay and saw the three top demons standing away from the fray.  "Faith!"  Buffy yelled, holding out her hand.  Faith threw Buffy her sword and returned to her fight.  Buffy caught it quickly and ran to the demons, sword gripped tightly in her hands.  

With one quick easy motion, she decapitated on top demon and moved to the next, Aaron's blank face in her mind.  She was angry, and the demons were on the receiving end of her rage.  With two more furious swings, the top demons lay dead.  Buffy grinned to herself and quickly threw the sword back to Faith, who having caught it, decapitated her vampires quickly.  Buffy looked around her, vampires and demons were fighting wizards and witches, and she could tell that Buffy's team was going to win.  She grinned at Moody when he staked a vampire and she helped Tonks with another.  

"Buffy!"  Sirius ran to Buffy, and stopped, breathless in front of her.  "Are you ok?"  He asked, concerned.  Buffy nodded her heart fluttering as she looked into his blue eyes.

"Great."  She said with a small smile.  Sirius grinned, and Buffy was reminded instantly of a younger Sirius from her childhood.  Sirius took her hand slowly, and Buffy looked curiously at Sirius.

Then a shout distracted her, and she quickly whirled around, and searched for the person who had given the shout.  Away from the fray were two men, battling furiously.  

Snape had a deep cut to his back, and seemed to be weakened.  Buffy watched, horrified as the vampire grabbed Snape and pulled his neck back.  The vampire bared his teeth, and his game face showed.  His yellow eyes glinted dangerously as it smelled pulsating blood, and his fangs sank into Snape's pale skin.  Buffy quickly ran through the vampires and wizards fighting to reach Snape, at each second Snape's body became limper, and his efforts to get free were weakened.  With an angry yell, Buffy jumped onto the vampire who in turn dropped Snape to the ground.  Buffy and the vampire fell the ground and Buffy found herself on the bottom, the vampire's bloodied teeth on top of her.  With another yell, she kicked him off her and flipped up.  She cuffed him and then delivered a high kick to his head that sent him flying into a tree trunk.  Buffy quickly strode up to him and staked it, dust flying onto her clothes.  

Looking back, she rushed over to Snape, where he lay moaning on the floor.  She smiled at him and he groaned.

"Summers."  He said between his teeth, and Buffy grinned.

"I bet it's just killing you that I saved you."  Buffy said, and Snape moaned again.

"That was not a pleasant experience."  Snape said, gingerly touching the side of neck where blood was trickling out of two puncture wounds.

"You'll be ok."  Buffy said reassured, taking his hand.

"So why are you still here with me?"  He asked, and Buffy looked around.

"We won."  Buffy said with a smile, and Snape lifted his head to see.  It seemed they had.  Sirius and Diggle were staking the last vampires and the rest seemed to be tending to their wounds.  The most serious wound was Kingsley, who had a deep wound on the side of his chest.  Buffy grinned at Snape and helped him stand, his hand firmly clutched in hers.  

"I think I shall be fine."  Snape announced.  Buffy looked up to him, her green eyes dancing.

"You sure?"

"Yes."  He answered, frowning as an unfamiliar feeling settled in his stomach as he looked into her eyes.  

Buffy smiled one last time and let go of his hand and hurried to Willow who was tending to a hurt Lupin.  Snape watched her go, Buffy's loose blonde hair flowing behind her.  He had never noticed how beautiful Buffy was before.

I'm sure most of you are going 'ew' right now…so I will be nice and tell you that Buffy and Snape will not be getting together.  Can you imagine those two together?  *Shudder*Ew.

Anyway, please review!


	24. Aftermath

Thanks to everyone who reviewed, most of you had the same thought about a Buffy/Snape pairing.  *shudder*.  Shizuka Slytherin Tsukino:  Sorry about that, but if you haven't noticed (and if you haven't you will soon) I love torturing my characters.  Makes a story more interesting, but I am also a fan of happy endings, so don't think my story will be all angst and torture.  Only bits ;)

Anyway, on with the story!

Chapter 25.  Aftermath.

Buffy sighed happily as she sat down on a chair in the hospital wing.  It was crowded with people from the Order, and Madam Pomfrey was busy tending to cuts and bruises, mumbling to herself on her way and muttering about 'damn apocalypses and vampires'.  

Buffy smiled at Faith, even though she hated the fact that she had not been able to save Aaron.  "Success?"  She asked, and Faith nodded.

"Success.  Seems odd though.  Without the gang."  Faith said sadly.  Buffy nodded in agreement.

"I miss Xand."  Willow said, coming to sit next to Buffy. 

"And Spike."  Buffy added.

"Gunn."  Faith said.

"Angel."

"Cor."

"Fred."

"Giles.

"Wes."

"Anya."

"Tara."  Buffy and Faith looked at Willow sad face, and Buffy placed a hand on Willow's knee.

"She'll come back to you Will."  Buffy reassured, and Willow nodded, but Buffy knew deep down, that Willow did not seem to believe Buffy.

"Maybe if I go to LA-"

"No."  Faith interrupted.  "She comes to you, she sees what you've achieved and she'll be yours to do the dirty with."  Faith said.  The three friends sat in silence for a while, watching the rest talk and reminiscing about their times as a Scooby.

"Willow?  Are you all right?"  Lupin asked, walking up to the red head and looking at the deep cut on Willow's arm.  Willow nodded and smiled at Lupin.

"No biggie.  Thanks for having my back today, Remus."  She said, and Lupin smiled.

Faith snorted.  "What is it with Red and werewolves, huh?"  Faith asked, and Buffy laughed at Lupin's shocked expression.

"My last boyfriend was a werewolf."  Willow explained, and Lupin raised his eyebrows.

"But I thought you were…um…"

"Red switched teams.  She bats for the other side now."  Faith explained, and Willow grinned.

"It was more the person, not the sex."

"But the sex is good, right Will?"  Buffy teased, and Willow and Lupin blushed.  

"Speaking of men, what's up with you and dog-boy Buff?"  Faith asked, looking over to Sirius who was in a deep conversation with Moody.  It was now Buffy's turn to blush.

"Sirius was majorly worried when you were gone."  Willow supplied.

"I dunno.  We had a moment before but…" 

"What happened?"

"Snape got bit.  I had to save him."  Buffy explained, and the four cracked up in laughter.

"I bet he loved that."  Faith said, glancing over at Snape who stood in a corner, glaring.  

***

Buffy stood in front of her mirror in her room, slowly brushing out the knots in her wet hair.  She had just taken a shower, getting rid of all the mud and blood on her body.  She was dressed for bed, and she was absolutely exhausted.  It had been a hectic couple of days, but everything had turned out well.  The apocalypse had been averted and there were no major casualties.  Buffy yawned loudly.

"Tired?"  A voice behind her said and she whirled around dropping into a defensive stance.  She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw who it was though and she placed her brush back on her desk.

"Sirius, that is a really good way to get your ass kicked."  

Sirius grinned boyishly and Buffy felt butterflies flying in her stomach.  She was suddenly very conscious that was wearing a large sweater and trousers and she was getting very warm.

"What's up?"  She breathed, as Sirius walked closer to her.

"I just wanted to see you."  He said, his body inches from her.  Buffy gulped and moved towards her bed, away from Sirius.

"So, you've seen me.  Goodnight."  She said hurriedly, and Sirius' eyebrow's furrowed.

"Are you all right?"  He asked and Buffy nodded hurriedly.  Then she shook her head negatively.

"Ok, things are really wiggy here.  I mean, things I haven't felt in a long time are feeling now and I'm worried, y'know?  'Cos I've known you for like, forever, and I raised you from the dead and you were my brother-in-laws best friend and some might say that's very complicated and I'm one of that some and Faith and Willow and Lupin say to go for it but it'd be weird 'cos I'm a slayer and you're a wizard and a dog, literally, and my nephew's godfather-"

Buffy was cut off from her rambling by Sirius' soft lips meeting hers.  Sirius' hand lay on the small of her back, and Buffy's hands raised themselves up into Sirius' long hair as their kiss deepened.  But then Buffy pressed her hands to Sirius' chest and pushed him firmly away.

"What are you doing?"  Buffy asked, her breathing ragged.

"Shutting you up."  Sirius replied, with a smirk.  Buffy glared at him.

"That's not a nice way to shut me up."  She said.

"But I think so."  Sirius replied, kissing Buffy once again.

It was more passionate this time, before it had been gentle and caring, but now it was desperate as they kissed, hands all over each other's body.  Sirius' lips were soft, his hands rough, and it seemed absolutely perfect to Buffy.  She did not care if this was just a way to shut her up, but deep down, she knew it wasn't.  She could tell he wanted this as much as she did, the way he kissed her…god!  He knew what he was doing!  She sighed pleasurably as he kissed the pulse point on her neck, and trailed kisses around her neck and face.  This was heaven.  Pure heaven.

*Grins*.  About time huh?  Please review and tell me what you think!


	25. Seeing Red

Hi everyone, sorry for the lateness!  Just slipped my mind…I'll do better next time!

I'm glad everyone liked the kiss…finally eh?  I'm really sorry for the shortness of that chapter, I meant to say something but I forgot.  Also…the spell for chapter 22 (I think) was completely made up and it pretty much sucked…but I can't rhyme and I'm not a witch, so I hoped that would do.  Also, I have a question.  When did Hermione slap Draco in the books?  Because I've been searching for it, but there quite a lot of books to go through…I would just really like to know, it's bugging the crap outta me.  

I was going to split this chapter into two, but there was point at where I could do it…hence the mega long chapter.  

Thank you for the reviews!  Please keep 'em coming, I like knowing what people think of this.  

Anyway…on with the chapter! 

***

Buffy smiled secretly to herself as she woke up the next day.  Sirius and Buffy had kissed the night before.  And Buffy had no regrets.  Buffy jumped out of her bed, pulling a short pale blue dress over her head.  She quietly got ready, wincing as she put a finger to the large purple bruise on her eye.  Come to think of it, maybe a dress was not a good idea, for she had cuts and bruises all over her body.  She changed again in her favourite red leather trousers and a black top, smiling at her appearance.  Pity she couldn't do anything about the purple bruise on her face.

She shrugged and walked out of the room, smiling sweetly at Faith and Willow who resided on the couch.  

"Hey guys.  I'm hungry, wanna get some breakfast?"  Buffy asked, standing by the portrait door.

Faith and Willow laughed.  "Buffy, it's lunch time."  Willow explained, and Buffy's eyes went wide. 

"I've been sleeping that long?"  Buffy asked, her eyes wide open.

"Yep, you were out like a rock, B."  Faith said.  "But you know what?  It's lunchtime now, so let's go get a bite."  Faith jumped off the couch and Willow stood up, stretching.  Buffy tried to look casually over at Sirius' door, and Faith chuckled.

"He's with Big D, B."  Buffy looked at her sharply, trying to look innocent and confused.  "He asked about you this morning, seemed kinda desperate.  Something going on?"  Faith teased, and Buffy grinned.  Willow squealed.

"That's great Buffy!"  She said, as the three left their rooms.  "So what happened?  Details needed."

Faith rolled her eyes at Willow's giddiness.  "Red's wondering if it's different with guys compared to girls.  Been out of that team for so long, she doesn't remember."  Faith joked, and Willow swatted Faith playfully on the arm, at which Faith winced, as she, like Buffy had bruises and scratches all over her body.  The three entered the Great hall, which was packed with students eating and talking loudly.  

"Buffy Summers!"  A voice stopped them in their tracks, and a young second year Slytherin ran up to the three, a mischievous smile on her face and something hidden behind her back.

"Hi…um…"  Buffy tried to remember the girl's name, but it was gone from her head.  The girl did not seem to mind, and she thrust a newspaper page in Buffy's hands.  

"Here."  She said, before running off.  Buffy watched her go, a confused look on her face.

"What was that all about?"  Willow asked, equally confused.  Buffy shrugged and looked at the newspaper page.

'Buffy Summers, a long lost relative to Harry Potter.

Everyone knows that Harry Potter, the famous Boy-who-lived has no relatives left, apart from his muggle aunt.  But that information is entirely false, for it has just been revealed by sources that Harry Potter has another aunt, who attended Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry many years ago.  However, she was kidnapped by the Watcher's Council from Lily and James Potter when she was just eleven years old.  The reason for this is that she was a potential slayer.  And now, she is the Slayer.

Having been called when she was just fifteen years old, Buffy Summers, who had taken the name of her adoptive parents, was quite the rebellious child.  Having a criminal record as long as a Basilisk, Miss Summers' more colourful allegations include murder, severe property damage and she has been expelled from two schools.  

This slayer, Buffy Summers who is twenty seven has been living in America for the last sixteen years, but recently, having just found out the whereabouts of her nephew, Harry Potter, is currently residing in Hogwarts, amongst children.

Buffy Summers is a threat, a dangerous, uncontrollable creature.'

Buffy stopped reading and folded the paper in dismay, pure shock written across her face.  How had this…Buffy looked at the name of the writer, Rita Skeeter, obtain this information?  Where could she have found such personal information as this?  And from whom?  Buffy looked up from the paper and glanced around her.  All around her, young students were hurrying away from her, while older ones regarded her as something dangerous, and they looked as if they were going to hex her out of the castle.  Some of them were advancing very slowly, curious looks on their faces.  But it seemed as if many of them were too scared.  

Surprisingly, it was Neville who was the bravest to ask Buffy.  Neville had taken a liking to Buffy ever since he had met her, as far as he knew, Buffy was a nice, friendly, virtually harmless person and Neville, being a loyal person, would not allow some article in the paper make him think otherwise.  He wanted to hear it from Buffy's lips.

"Hey Buffy."  He said wryly, and Buffy smiled encouragingly.  How could that angelic face be evil? Thought Neville.   "Is it true?"  He asked, and the students around them were silent, waiting for an answer.  Out of the corner of her eye, Buffy saw Harry and his friends join the crowd.

"Depends which part you are talking about."  Buffy said.

"She's my aunt, Neville."  Harry clarified, walking up to where Buffy, Faith and Willow stood.  There was a collective gasp, and Neville asked his next question.

"Your criminal record?"

Buffy sighed.  "I was accused of murder, but I did not do it.  I would never kill a human."  Buffy felt Faith flinch with shame next to her.  "I've been expelled from two schools, and I have blown up my last." There was another collective gasp, and Neville asked why. "Because there was a demon snake in it."  Buffy answered.  Another gasp.

A young Hufflepuff with black hair stood forward.  "How big was it?"

Buffy grinned, and looked around the hall.  "You know this hall?  If the demon snake curled up in here, he just fit.  But it'd be a tight squeeze."  Buffy said, with a grin.

Another gasp.

"I'll tell you about it if I take another D.A.D.A lesson."  Buffy said, and there were grins all around.

"You're wicked."  A seventh year boy said, and Buffy grinned.

"That was awesome."  

"I can't believe you blew up a school!"

"Hey, I helped."  Willow said, waving her hand nervously, and all eyes flicked to her. 

"Who are you?"  A voice drawled.

"Willow Rosenberg.  I arrived here about a week ago, but I've been mostly in our room."  Willow explained.

"You a muggle?"

"A whattie?"  

"Someone who can't do magic."  Willow smiled.

"I can do magic.  But not your kind.  I can do Wicca, its magic without wands."  There was a murmur.

"Can you show us?"  Another young student asked.

Willow looked cautiously at Buffy, and Buffy shrugged.  "If you think you can."  Buffy said quietly.  

"What do you want me to do?"  Willow asked.

"Turn your hair pink!"

"Make the chairs dance!"

"Turn Malfoy into a ferret again."  There were laughs, and Malfoy, who had been standing a bit away from the crowd, scowled.  

Buffy raised an eyebrow.  "Ferret?" 

Ron grinned, and walked to Buffy.  "It was great, I'll tell you."  He said, leading Buffy to a seat at the table.

"It's not that great a story, Weasel."  A voice drawled behind them as they sat down.  Ron turned around to face Draco, contempt etched on his face.

"I think it was bloody brilliant."  Ron said coolly.

"Ron."  Hermione chastised, and both boys looked at the brunette.

"Hello _Hermione_."  Malfoy drawled with a smirk on his face.  Ron's hands clenched into fists.

"Don't call her that."  He said angrily.

"What?  You don't want to share?"  Malfoy asked, his smirk provoking Ron even more.  "I figured you already did that, sharing Hermione between you and Potty."

Bam.

Malfoy fell to the floor, his hands up against his cheek, where Ron's knuckles had met it.  Buffy was up in her seat, her hands on Ron's chest, preventing him from doing anything else.  There was a crowd around them now, Harry, Willow and Faith in the front.  

Malfoy stood up, and reached for his pocket.

"You're outnumbered kid."  Faith warned, and Malfoy's eyes traveled around the group.  Buffy and Hermione were trying to stop Ron from lunging again at Malfoy, and Willow and Faith were trying to stop Harry attacking Malfoy with both fists and wand.

Immediately, seven large seventh and sixth years stood behind Malfoy, their wands out.

"You really want to do this kid?"  Buffy asked, not knowing his name.  "You're against two slayers, a powerful witch and two angry wizards."  

Malfoy looked at Buffy.  "What good are slayers?"  Malfoy asked, having never seen a slayer in action.

It happened unexpectedly. 

Malfoy reached for his wand and Harry and Ron reached for theirs.  Willow held her hands out and muttered a few words, and their wands flew to her hands.  Willow eyes were black, and the roots of her hair turned dark.  

Foolishly, the students backing Malfoy uttered curses and spells and sent them straight at Buffy's group.  But the different colour shoots of light sparked as it touched an invisible barrier, making the barrier glow purple and vibrate. 

Willow's hair was now black.

"_Accio__ wands_."  Hermione said hurriedly, her eyes on Willow and the Slytherins wands flew to her hand.

"You fool."  Willow said slowly.  Malfoy cowered under Willow's stare.

"Will…"  Buffy warned, her eyes fixed with worry at both Willow and the blonde boy.  

Willow took a step towards Malfoy and Buffy ran in front of him, her hands held up against her chest.

"Willow, don't do this."  

"He was naughty."  Willow said, an evil smile tugging at her lips.

"Yes, but that's no reason to do this."  Buffy urged.  "Remember your training."  

"He-"

"He is sorry Willow.  Aren't you kid?"  Buffy said, leaving no room for argument.

"Y-yes, s-s-sorry."  Malfoy stuttered.  If it had been in a different situation, Ron and Harry would have laughed.  But one look at Willow and they could tell this was no laughing matter.

"Willow."  Buffy warned.

The tips of Willow's hair reddened.

"Don't do this Will."

Her eyes were fading to their usual white and green.

"Think of Tara."

It was like a magic word.  Willow's hair turned back to red, and her eyes regained her green.  She collapsed in Harry's arms, her eyes closed and Harry looked helplessly up at Buffy.

"Faith, Harry, take Willow to the hospital wing."  Buffy ordered.  The pair, supporting Willow left, the crowd parting as they went, people craning their necks to get a better look.  Buffy sighed as she watched Willow disappear from view.  This was not good.  Then, Buffy whirled around, her eyes blazing with anger.  She grabbed neck of Malfoy's robes and raised him off the ground, his carefully slicked back hair falling from its place.  "What the hell were you playing at?"  She growled, and Malfoy looked frightened back into Buffy's eyes.  Buffy lowered him to the ground and dragged him out of the Great Hall, the students, including Hermione and Ron who was still holding each other, watching.

Buffy dragged him up several flights of stairs, twisting through corridors and past paintings.  Finally, when she arrived outside her room and she pushed him up against the wall.

"Professor, I never knew you liked to play rough."  Malfoy quipped, and Buffy pushed him back against the wall even harder.  He winced.

"What the hell were you playing at?"  She repeated.

Malfoy shrugged, which was hard to do as he was pressed against the wall. 

"Why were you doing that?  Aggravating Ron like that?"  Buffy asked, and a smirk pulled at Draco's lips.

"It was a bit of fun."  Malfoy said.

"Yeah, well that almost got you seriously hurt."  Buffy said, loosening up on her grasp.  "What's your name kid?"

"Draco Malfoy."  

Buffy looked at him.  She rolled her eyes.  "Figures.  Harry and Ron keep on going on about you."  

"And what do they say?"  Draco asked, and Buffy's eyes narrowed.

"Things that I will not repeat.  But it seems to me you do this a lot, so I think I'll have to take points."  Buffy threatened.  "How about fifty?"  Draco's eyes widened.  "Hundred?"

"Miss Summers, guests cannot take points away from a house."  A cold voice said behind Buffy, and she turned her head to see Snape standing opposite her, a glare on his face.

"Well, can't you do it?"  Buffy asked, biting her lip.

Snape's eyebrow's rose.  "And why would I do that?"

Buffy rolled her eyes and let Malfoy go.  "'Cause you're a teacher, duh."  Buffy said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Snape huffed.  "Why would you want me to take points off Mister Malfoy?"

Buffy made an 'o' shape with her mouth and looked back at Malfoy.  "Because Malfoy was annoying Ron and he also tried to attack him."

Snape turned his gaze to Malfoy.  "Is this true?"

Malfoy nodded weakly.  Snape bristled, and looked back challengingly at Buffy.  "Fine.  Ten points from Slytherin."  He said, and Malfoy grinned.  "You may go."  

Buffy watched Malfoy quickly walk off, and then she turned angrily to Snape.  "Ten points!  Ten measly points?"

"I thought that was sufficient."  Snape said.

"Do you know what he did?"  Buffy asked angrily.

"Yes, I was there."  Snape said, unaffected by Buffy's anger.  Buffy glared at him, her green eyes blazing.

"So why did you do nothing?  Did you see what he did to Willow?"  

Snape sighed, looking as if he was thoroughly tired of this conversation.  "I did."  He said, before walking away.

Buffy ran to catch up with him, and Snape's lower lip curled.  "So…what's with the ten points?"

Snape rounded on her, glowering.  "His father is a Death Eater."  Snape said in a hushed voice.

Buffy shrugged, her green eyes fixed on those black ones which were too close for comfort.  "So?  He's in Azkaban."

"I have to be civil to the Death Eater's offspring for a reason and one reason only.  The Dark Lord knows everything.  I fear he already suspects me of my treachery, and that is why I am not in the inner circle.  One slip up and my cover could be blown."  

"I get that, but why aren't you giving Malfoy what he deserves?"

"I have a feeling Draco Malfoy is…influenced by the Dark Lord.  If anything happens, which shows my true colours; I have a feeling Malfoy will relate it to the Dark Lord.  And I cannot have that happening.  It would cost us…"

"Your life?"  Buffy finished, and Snape swallowed.

"The Dark Lord has methods that others dare not speak.  Not only will I be killed, dire consequences will follow."  

***

Buffy paced her room, her nails in her mouth, and her hair in disarray.  She had gotten back from the hospital wing where Willow was resting almost an hour ago, and Buffy had a feeling Willow would be fine.  Almost fine.  All she needed was Tara.  But Tara would not come back to her yet.  Not until Willow had gained control of the magic's.  But that was not what Buffy was worrying about.  

Sirius.

Sirius Black, her nephew godfather, her sister's husbands best friend, the man she raised from the dead and the man she kissed.

The man who she had not seen since they had kissed.

There was something wrong with her, Buffy thought.  The guy she had a crush on since she was a little girl had ran as far away as he could when they had kissed.  Maybe Sirius did not want Buffy the way she wanted him.  Maybe his feelings were different.  

But then she thought of the way he had kissed her, the way his hands were as he held her, and she knew Sirius felt the same.  

So why was he hiding?

Buffy just wanted him here, next to her, so she could find out what was happening between them.

The door opened, and the man occupying Buffy's thoughts walked in.  Buffy raised an eyebrow, surprised how well that worked.  

Sirius stood in front of her, an almost nervous smile on his face.  Buffy grinned at that, she had never seen Sirius nervous.  She raised her hand to his face, twining his black hair with her pale fingers, and Sirius' hand rested on her hip.

"Are you ok?"  He asked, his face lined with worry.

Buffy smiled and kissed him gently on the lips.  When they parted, she smiled at him, her green eyes lost in those brilliant blue eyes of his.  "I am now."  

Sirius grinned and kissed her again, his hands resting on her back and Buffy's fingers still in his hair.  And all worry that Buffy had…worry about Willow's abuse of magic, Harry's hate for her, the war with Voldemort, the letters she received from LA telling her of dreadful demons…all that was washed away when Sirius' mouth met hers.  

It felt so right to be in his arms, to be held by him, it felt as if it was just meant to be.  With Angel, it had been as if he was too scared to hurt her, too scared to let his guard down and endeavor her wholly, as he would have liked to do.  With Riley, it had been too safe, Riley had always made sure Buffy knew how much he loved her, but it was never exciting, never thrilling.  

But with Sirius…he was gentle enough, and he was passionate enough so Buffy felt excited, thrilled at every kiss.  It just seemed to work.  And it was perfect.

***

Los Angeles.  The docks, midnight. 

"There's more!"  Xander shouted, staking a vampire as four others rounded on him.

"Behind you!"  Angel yelled, fighting with three demons.

Xander looked behind him just in time to see the vampire creeping up behind him.  Xander ducked a punch and staked him.  "Thanks soulboy!"  

"Don't call me that."  Angel said gruffly as he staked another vampire.

"Oh would you two shut up."  Giles said angrily, fighting with another two vampires. 

"I agree, Watcher."  Spike said, delivering a roundhouse to a demon with spikes.

"I can't believe you guys are arguing."  Tara said, floating stakes into vampire's hearts and daggers into demon's heads.

The number of vampires and demons that had surrounded them in the beginning had lessened, but there were still many more, appearing from almost nowhere.  The group was at the docks, taking out demons and vampires who were making their way to England.

"Giles!"  Wesley warned, but it was too late.  Giles looked behind him, only to see a large sword impact with his gut, the blade piercing the skin and cutting through his body.  Giles looked at his wound in horror, his head already dizzy and his legs giving way.  He fell to the floor, his eyes closed and his heart stopped beating.

***

Woo hoo!  Cliffie!  Fun for me…not so fun for you huh?  Please review!

Oh, and before I forget…I have a new story up, called 'Draco's Ghost'.  If you like Spike or Draco…go read it.  Please?  And review!!


	26. Chosen

I am so sorry I haven't updated for ages!  I meant to, I swear but then my computer got ill…it had to be taken away and it came back yesterday…

I'm here now though!  So yay!

Thanks for all your reviews!  They make my day, they really do!  And as for, Giles…it was incredibly funny reading your reactions.  Unfortunately, you won't be finding out what happened to Giles till the next chapter, because this chapter is set the day after Giles' accident, so Buffy would not have heard about it yet.  

Ok, so things are getting a bit more interesting now, this is where we get to the plot…so this story is actually going to somewhere, starting now…

Chapter 27.

Buffy and Sirius sat on the couch of their suite, hands entwined and carefully hidden from view.  Lupin sat opposite, a knowing smile on his face.  Willow and Faith sat next to Lupin, Willow giggling every so often when Sirius and Buffy looked at each other simultaneously, and then looked away, simultaneously.  Harry, Ron and Hermione sat in the middle, the three youngsters unaware about what was going on.  Well…not all three were unaware.

Willow was had been released from the hospital wing that morning, a day after the confrontation.  Buffy had filled the three youngsters in on what had happened with the apocalypse, and the three had listened with wide eyes and mouths.  Ron was still reveling about how much Buffy and Faith kicked ass, Hermione was tearing when Buffy told them about Aaron and Harry…Harry could not take his eyes off his aunt's and godfather's entwined hands.

***

Harry had left abruptly.  When Buffy had said goodnight, he had just waved her off and almost ran out of the door.  Hermione and Ron went out to follow him, but Harry had already disappeared.  Thank god for slayer sense, Buffy thought, as she turned another corridor, a corridor she thought Harry would have gone down.  And sure enough, there he was, standing by a suit of amour that held a spear dangerously close to Harry's body.  His eyes caught Buffy's gaze and he proceeded down the corridor.  Buffy sighed and made to follow him.

"Harry!"  She shouted, but Harry kept walking.  "Harry, please wait!"  Harry turned a corner, and Buffy followed.  "I can explain."  Buffy shouted as she ran.  Harry stopped suddenly and Buffy caught herself as she almost skidded into Harry.

"Explain."  He said coldly, his green eyes blazing with Evans stubbornness.  Unfortunately, Buffy had also inherited Evans stubbornness.  

"Why are you being such an ass about this?"  Buffy asked.

"About what?"  Harry spat, his glasses askew.  

"Me.  Why do you hate me?  Why is it that almost every time I look at you, you glare at me, or why every time I enter a room, you leave it, or every time I'm with Sirius-"

"Why do you have to take him as well?"  Harry interrupted with anger, and Buffy fell silent.  "You've taken everything else, my friends, the people I think as family, and you've taken Sirius.  Don't think I did not see you two, the hand holding and everything!"  Harry shouted, advancing on Buffy.  He was almost half a head taller than Buffy, and normally Buffy was not threatened by that, but she was now.  This was her nephew, her nephew who was yelling and screaming at her, anger coated.

Buffy stood in silence, Harry's angry short breaths blowing in her face, wisps of hair flying as it came.  They were so close, almost nose to forehead, and Buffy could see Lily's eyes, those gorgeous emerald eyes staring back at her, anger and hatred clear in them.

"Buffy…"  A voice interrupted them, and Harry looked behind him, where the tall and intimidating figure of Dumbledore stood, and his hand on his glasses.  Harry walked away from Buffy, and she wiped her eyes with her sleeve, the material damp from the tears that had leaked out.  "I need you; there is a meeting at the Black house."  Dumbledore continued, and Buffy nodded.  Buffy turned around slowly and walked out of the corridor without a glance back at Harry.  

Harry looked back at Dumbledore, the man he had previously thought as a grandfather, someone he could trust.  But now…his idea about Dumbledore had changed.  He was sick of everyone keeping secrets from him.  Everyone had known of his aunt, and had anyone told him?  No.  Dumbledore was a man Harry trusted the most, but now…that trust was gone.

"Harry…"  Dumbledore started, and Harry did something he never thought he would do to his headmaster.  He walked away from him, continuing down the corridor and turning the corner, acting as if he had not heard him.

***

Buffy walked quickly into her room, and started as she saw Sirius seated on the edge of her bed.  

"What happened?"  He asked, and Buffy sighed, sitting next to him.

"It was bad."  She said, resting her head on his shoulder. 

"And that's not good."

"That's bad."

Buffy sighed again, and she looked up into Sirius' eyes, those eyes she loved so much.  "Do you think he'll ever…?"

Sirius kissed her gently, and caressed her cheek with him thumb.  "He'll come round.  He'll have to in the end.  I'm not planning on losing you."

***

 Buffy sat with her legs on the table, her left hand in her lap and her right in Sirius' hands.  Willow said to the left of her, her eyes searching for Dumbledore who had yet to come in.  Faith was somewhere upstairs with Charlie.  

They were in the Black house, in the room where they used for meetings.  It was a large room, with a black painted wooden table in the middle, surrounded by chairs.  There was a large chair at the foot of the table, where Dumbledore sat.  The walls were adorned simply with torches, casting a dim glow around the room.  There was a small fireplace in the corner whose flame was dying

Willow sat in a chair, her eyes glancing nervously around the room.  She noticed that everyone was giving her curious stares, and she blushed, her hands unconsciously fiddling with a loose string on her long green skirt.  No one knew who she was.  Who she really was.  Willow Rosenberg was a twenty seven year old, with two best friends, one was a slayer and the other owned a company that built buildings.  She was a lesbian as of eight years ago, and her heart belonged to one special woman.  Tara.  Who was a Wiccan, like Willow.  But Willow was abusing the magic's.  She was full of power, bad and good, but mostly bad.  And the thing was, she did not know how it had got this way.  But Willow knew she wanted to stop it.  She wanted to be good, to have good power.  

Dumbledore entered the room, and everyone stood up, Faith leading Charlie behind Dumbledore.  The pair hurriedly took their places opposite Buffy, Faith's hair untidy and Charlie's face horribly red.  Buffy grinned at Faith, and Faith winked.  Dumbledore stood at the head of the table, surveying the group.  It had grown considerably.  The usual were here, but new recruits were the Diggory's, Madame Maxime, Fleur, two friends of Charlie's from Romania, Professor Flitwick and Professor Trelawney, and David Stokes and Mary Stokes, whose nephew had been killed by Voldemort in his first rise to power.

"The meeting has commenced."  Dumbledore said, and everyone sat.  "First order of business…Arthur?"

One by one, each member stood up and told their news.  Some had been following Death Eaters and had a vague idea of where Voldemort was, others had been trying to establish new members for the Order.  Voldemort was still trying to find out the rest of the prophecy, but that was not his main concern at the moment.  

Dumbledore gestured to Buffy, and she looked curiously at Dumbledore.  "What have your friends been writing to you, from Los Angeles?"  He asked, and Buffy made an 'o' shape with her mouth.  She stood up.

"Uh, they say things are getting pretty heavy over there.  More demons and vamps are collecting at the docks, and some are making there way to New York to get to England that way."

 "Oh, and apocalypse was stopped by the way.  In case you didn't guess."  Willow said, smiling.  

"Any casualties?"  Molly asked.

"Me."  Kingsley said, pointing to the side of his chest.

"Kingsley.  And a civilian."  Willow said.  As soon as she realized what she said, she looked at Buffy in horror.  "Civilian…I sound like Riley!"  Willow exclaimed.

"B's army boy."  Faith said.  "I remember him."  She smiled and Buffy glared at her.

"Well you would."  Buffy said, and Faith held her hands up in mock surrender.

"Harmless fun B."

Dumbledore cleared his throat to get the conversation back to more pressing matters.  He gestured to Snape, and he stood up, the ever present glare set on his face.

"There was a meeting last night, and the Dark Lord talked of many things.  He is targeting the Creevey's, the Brown's and the Clearwater's.  There was also talk about an alliance with the vampires and demons."  Buffy sat up a bit, alert.  "He talked about a vampire, so deadly that he has killed hundreds in the past with allies.  But a hundred years ago, he seemed to disappear off the face of the earth, and only about ten years ago, he reappeared.  He is a vampire with a soul, and now goes by the name-"

"Angel."  Buffy finished for Snape, a look of horror on her face.  "Shit."

I no, I no, I'm a bitch…I'll get the next chapter up soon ok?  But, until then…you see that little blue button down there?  Down a bit…down…there you go!  See, you click that…write about the things in this chapter you loved, the things you hated, and then you press the button which says submit review.  OK?  Good.  


	27. Fallen

Woo hoo! Another chapter, mainly to make up for the major wait before. Which, I am sorry about by the way. 

Thanks for the reviews! They make my day, honestly they do. And I know, enough with the cliffhangers…but good news! This chapter hasn't got a cliffhanger! Everyone clap…one lonely clap at the back thanks…

As for everyone who wants Harry to stop being such a bitch…again you will have to wait. But it will happen, I promise you this. It will happen. 

Just a reminder...for me actually, but I'll let you know too...this is about three weeks into the term ok? It's just a estimated guess, because before I actually had a real idea of when all this happens, but i forgot. So far, we are three weeks into the term, which i must say, is pretty good, considering Sam-453's All in the blood is only a week into term and she's at 41 chapters. Get a move on Francisco! 

Anyway…on to chapter 27. And don't forget to review! I'll give you…I don't know what, but I bet it will be nice. 

Chapter 27.

A dismayed, horrified and terrified look was painted on Buffy's face. It had been almost a decade since she had seen Angelus, but the memories of what he had done were still fresh in her mind. And they were all swimming up to the top, Angel's face in her mind…the sword fight…Angelus holding Willow…all bad memories, and memories that Buffy did not want to relieve that again.

"Buffy?" Willow asked quietly, when Buffy did not say anything. Willow put a gentle hand on Buffy's, squeezing it. Buffy looked at her, she was back to life and she had a dangerous glint in her eye.

"When are they going for him?" She asked Snape.

"Tomorrow night." He answered.

Buffy nodded and stood up abruptly, her chair fell the floor with a cold clatter. "Dumbledore, I need a port key." Buffy instructed.

"Of course." 

Faith stood up, her hands in her jeans pocket. "When are we going, B?" 

Buffy looked at her sharply. "We? We are not going anywhere. I'm going on my own." 

"Buffy…"Willow started, but Buffy glared at her.

"No. I'm gonna grab Angel and go, no stops for Tara, no stops for Gunn and Lorne, nothing." Buffy said stubbornly, her hand released from Sirius, who was staring at her with a jealousy. Buffy was going to see the man she had loved for many years, and Sirius was in a silent envious rage. 

"But Buffy, it could be dangerous." Faith said.

"Nothing I can't handle." 

"B…"

"No!" Buffy shouted. Faith and Willow were quiet immediately. "No." She said quieter, tears forming in her eyes. "I can't lose him, guys. I can't. I can't let this happen again…remember what happened last time Willow?" Buffy asked quietly, and Willow nodded. "I can't do that again…not now…not that…" She looked at Sirius, but he was unaware, for his gaze rested on his shoes.

Willow nodded understandingly. "Be safe." She said, wrapping her arms around Buffy in a hug.

"B…do good, ok?" Faith said, and Buffy nodded. Casting one last glance at Sirius, she left the room, Dumbledore on her heels. The two remaining Scooby girls looked at Sirius, who looked up, raising an eyebrow at the expectant looks of the two girls. Willow gave him a little push on the shoulder and sighing; he leapt up and followed Buffy and Dumbledore. 

Buffy was talking quietly to Dumbledore in the kitchen when Sirius came in, and when he closed the door with a bang, Buffy looked immediately up to him.

"Angel…the love of you life Angel? You're going to LA to save him?" Sirius asked, his hands shaking with jealousy.

"That's the one." Buffy said quietly, watching him closely.

"Oh, just wanted to make that clear." Sirius said sarcastically, and Buffy sighed. 

"I have to go."

Sirius nodded furiously, and thrust his hands in his robe pockets. "Yeah, you have to save your beloved Angel." He said childishly.

"Look, Sirius. Angel can't become Angelus again. He just can't. Let me just put it this way…When Angel's good, he's very good…when Angel's bad…he's naughty." 

"I'm probably going to sound like a petulant child, but…we just got together, and then you rush off to save your ex. Excuse me for feeling jealous!" Sirius said angrily, and Buffy smiled. She walked quickly up to him, putting her hands on his chest.

"Sirius…Angel is a close friend. Nothing more." 

"Buffy…" Dumbledore's voice called and Buffy kissed Sirius soundly on the lips.

"See you soon?" She asked, and he nodded, kissing her gently.

"Soon." He agreed reluctantly.

"I'll floo if I need help, Big D." Buffy said, as she placed a finger on a broom, and Dumbledore nodded, as she disappeared with a 'pop'.

Angel was in his office, working out problems the Wolfram and Hart had caused lately, when Cordelia ran into his office, a smile on her face. This was a change, because not many of them wore smiles these days.

"Buffy's here." She said, and that was all it took for Angel to jump out of his seat and stride to the foyer. Buffy smiled as she saw him, feeling her heart flutter as she saw her first love. But Buffy had sorted something out, in all the craziness that had developed the last couple of days. She loved Angel. She always would, but she was not in love with him. 

"Buffy." Angel said, stopping a few paces before the slayer. Buffy boldly embraced him, and Angel wrapped his strong arms around her. "I did not realize the owl would get to you so fast." 

Buffy parted from Angel and looked up and Angel curiously. "Owl?"

Angel paled, and he led Buffy to a couch. Buffy was getting anxious now, and she bit her lip nervously. "Angel?" She asked again, her green eyes staring into him. Reading his soul. 

"I'm sorry, Buffy." He said, and Buffy knew. She immediately knew. Buffy burst into tears.

It was quiet. Cream paint was on the walls, the floor was a sparkly red and the bed in front of Buffy was occupied by the person she loved and respected like a father. 

Giles.

Tubes were inserted in body, and he was breathing on a ventilator. Cuts and bruises dirtied his face, and his body was still. 

Buffy sat next to him, taking his hand in hers, tears threatening to fall again. Xander stood behind her, watching silently, trying to be supportive but failing. Giles was his surrogate father. Giles was everyone's surrogate father. And he was in a hospital, with machines breathing for him. Xander had tried to be strong when the ambulance was called, when he saw the surgeon walking towards him sadly, when Anya and Tara broke down in tears. He had tried. 

"Giles?" Buffy asked weakly, salty tears trickling down her face. She squeezed his hand, but there was no response. Giles lay on the bed, lifeless. "Please…" Buffy choked, tears flowing even more. Xander put an arm around her and Buffy hugged him tightly, her hand still clutched to Giles'. "Will he ever wake up?" Buffy asked into Xander's chest. "Yes, he'll just need time." Buffy looked up into Xander's wet brown pools, and sobbed even harder. She was reminded of when she had put Faith in a coma, when she saw her lifeless body on the bed…everything was flooding back. What happened if Giles woke up half a year later? Buffy could not lose him; she could not cope without Giles guiding her.

"The doctors say he lost a lot of blood." A voice said behind them, and Buffy looked behind Xander and saw a pregnant Anya and a teary Tara. 

"Anya, Tara." Buffy said, motioning for them to come forward. They did and Xander wrapped his arms around the three women, trying to be strong. Trying to be the man. He couldn't.

The four sat around Giles' bed, talking in hushed tones. Some time during the day, Cordelia joined them, and later in the night, Spike visited. They were all trying to make conversation, but none of them seemed to have the strength to do it. Even Spike, who was missing the fellow Brit as much as anyone else. But eventually, Cordelia struck up a conversation.

"What brings you here, Buffy?" She asked.

"Angel." Buffy said quietly, her eyes still on Giles' face.

"What about the poof?" Spike asked quietly. Buffy giggled, and glanced up at Spike.

"I missed you guys." Buffy said, looking around the room. "You should come back with me, when I go back to England with Angel."

"I'm there." Spike said instantly.

"Why are you taking back Angel?" Cordelia asked.

"Voldemort wants him." Buffy replied, and the group fell silent. They knew what that meant. Voldemort wanted Angel, to make him Angelus so he could kill and be an ally with evil.

"Have you talked to Angel about this?" Xander asked, and Buffy shook her head.

"I haven't had time…not with…" She trailed off, her eyes fixed on the face of her mentor.

"I'll go." A voice said behind them, and Angel walked into the room, putting a gentle hand on Buffy's shoulder. "Los Angeles can spare me for a bit, besides, I think that the last boat for a long time to the UK left when…" He trailed off, looking at Giles.

Buffy nodded in thanks. "You guys want to come? It'll be a change." Buffy asked, looking to her friends.

"I'll stay, keep the AI up." Cordelia said, smiling sympathetically at Buffy. 

"I'm in." Xander said.

"Me too. I need a break." Anya said with her hand on her pregnant belly.

Buffy looked to Tara, and she shook her head. "I think I'll stay here, look after Giles and…"

"Keep away from Willow?" Buffy finished, and Tara nodded, her hands on the stomach of her green corset. "She's doing better, Tara. But I can't force you." Buffy lied. She was not going to tell Tara about the incident a couple of days ago, she felt there was no need. Willow had just lost her temper, and she was truly sorry for the slip up.

"Xander Junior and Sarah would like England." Anya said cheerfully. "There was this one time, two centuries ago, when I burnt this man's pe-"

"Ok honey," Xander interrupted with a grimace, "That's enough information for now."

"So you guys are coming?" Buffy said, stopping Anya from retorting. 

"We're there, Slayer." Spike said. Anya, Xander and Angel nodded as well, and Buffy smiled tearfully. If only…

Buffy looked at the face of her mentor with his hand in hers, her thumb tracing circles on his cold skin. If only Giles could come. Buffy stood up quietly, placing his hand on his chest. Slowly, she leant down and kissed his forehead, mirroring what she had done so many years ago when Faith was in an almost similar position. Turning away from his face, knowing that if she looked at him any more, she would break down in a fresh set of tears, she addressed her friends. 

"Pack only what you need. We leave tonight." Buffy said, hoping they would leave before the Death Eaters came. But she had a feeling, a gut feeling that they wouldn't. And if they did leave in time, it would leave the AI to deal with the Death Eaters, and they would not be able to handle them. Buffy knew she would need reinforcements. 

Woo hoo! Long chapter…and see, no cliffie! Aren't I good? And btw, did you really think I would kill Giles? He's so wicked…when he comes to Sunnydale in Season 6 with all the magic…wicked! I won't kill off characters I love…

Please review!


	28. Return to England

Hello everyone! I am mega excited today because I am fifteen today! So I'm mega excited and mega hyper! Woo hoo!

Thanks for all the reviews everyone! You guys totally rock!

This is a make up chapter, because I know lot's of you were disappointed by the apocolypse chapter, because there wasn't a whole lot of action...so here's the make up chapter! And it's bloody long I'll tell you that! Geez...but anyway, here it is, with plenty of action, so I hope you all like and hopefully there'll be no disappointments...is that a word? Yeah it is...I think...

SPASH panther: 1st question- maybe, I'm not too sure yet. 2nd question: You'll find out. Their reactions aren't really exciting…3rd question: Xander Jr. is about five and Sarah is about three. I think. I've written their ages somewhere, but I really cannot be bothered to look. So their about that age. 4th question: No, but Sirius and Spike will get along.

Sam-453: Ok, ok, two weeks…easy mistake to make…'sides, who's counting? Jks.

Anyway, on with the chapter!

Chapter 29. Return to England.

Buffy stood in the lobby of the Hyperion, her friends around her. Tara sat on a chair, looking almost enviously at the sight of Gunn and Fred kissing. It seemed that Tara missed Willow almost as much as Willow missed Tara, but Tara was firm in her decision. She had talked to Buffy about it, and she had told Buffy that she may decide to go to England, but not yet. The memories of Willow's magic abuse were still too strong.

Wesley, Lorne and Cordelia were talking quietly, occasionally casting worried looks at Angel. Next to them, Spike was smoking a cigarette, wearing his large leather duster; identical to the one Buffy always wore. Spike loved Buffy, and Buffy loved him, but only as a friend. They had grown so close over the years, that Buffy had wanted something that would remind her of him on her travels fighting evil. Spike had gotten her the duster, and Buffy was hardly parted without it.

Anya was sitting on a desk, eating a sandwich with prunes, beetroot, ham and mayonnaise, which, according to Xander, Anya had taken a liking to since she had become pregnant. Xander sat next to her, his own chicken salad sandwich in his hand. He looked at the sandwich Anya was eating with disgust, beetroot stained mayonnaise dripping from the bread. He shuddered, and then looked back to his own sandwich, mayonnaise visible. He shrugged and took a large bite out of his own, apparently unaffected.

Xander Junior and Sarah were playing with Wesley's stakes, almost unaware that they were dangerous in the wrong hands. But the children had so far grown up around evil, fighting and dealing with it. It was almost sad for them to grow up around death like this, but it was Xander's and Anya's decision. They wanted their children to have to knowledge of the dark creatures in the world, so one day, they could help stop them.

Buffy grinned at her friends antics, and Angel watched her quietly. She seemed happier than he had seen her for many years…maybe it was the fact that she had found her lost family, or it could be the fact that he could smell a man all over her. A man with a smell that reminded Angel of…dog?

Angel was a jealous bastard, and he knew it. He was controlling, selfish, possessive and jealous, all traits that belonged to his evil counter part, Angelus. While Angelus had expressed his jealousy and possessiveness through violence and cold blooded murder, Angel, the vampire with a soul countered his problem in a different way.

Brooding.

A pastime Angel spent a lot doing, but time worth spent, he might add. Angel was over two hundred years old, and he had done quite a bit in those two centuries he had been alive…and dead. This all required time set for brooding, which, fortunately, he had quite a lot. Especially when Buffy was around. For when Buffy was around, almost all of his thoughts were occupied by her.

Buffy was not perfect. Far from it almost. She was a tight ass, stuck up little bitch, as Faith had once said. Buffy was stern and had major ego problems. But she was also compassionate, ambitious and a leader. She had humour, although it was sometime severely lacking in parts, and she did know how to have fun. And that was why Angel still loved her.

"Are you sure you don't want to come?" Buffy asked the people who were staying behind, but they shook their heads, and wished them well for their journey. Xander stuffed the rest of his sandwich in his mouth, and then hauled his suitcases in his arms.

"Are you sure it's safe for me?" Anya asked, her hand protectively on her bump.

"Positive." Buffy reassured, taking a suitcase belonging to Spike in her hands. She glanced at the doors of the Hyperion, her eyes searching for Death Eaters or vampires. Suddenly, breaking the sad silence, there was a loud pop and two groups of people appeared in the lobby of the hotel, most of them dressed in robes and carrying wands.

"Great googly moogly." Xander observed, grinning as he spotted Willow among the mass of magic folk. "Willow." He said, and Tara's eyes immediately flew to the red head.

"Hey Xand." Willow acknowledged. Buffy smiled and walked towards the magic folk.

"Gallant fighters to the rescue." Lupin joked, as Buffy reached him.

"Thanks guys." She said, her eyes drifting over the many wizards and witches. The Weasley's (save Molly) were here with Faith, Willow, Sirius, Lupin, Tonks, Kingsley, as well as other members of the Order that Buffy could not remember the name of. She noted that Moody was not among the group, neither was Snape.

"Who are these people?" Cordelia asked curiously.

"I asked Dumbledore today for some help. Followers of Voldemort are coming today, now, to collect Angel. And I didn't think we could handle them ourselves." Buffy explained with a blush.

"Shall I hand out weapons?" Wesley asked, and Buffy nodded.

"There could be vampires, so Buffy and her friends can deal with them. Its unlikely Voldemort will send just Death Eaters." Kingsley said hoarsely.

"When are they coming?" Anya asked worriedly.

At a quiet crack, Buffy's head snapped towards the door, synchronizing with Spike, Angel and Faith.

"Now." Spike said roughly, snarling. All eyes turned to the door and a tense silence descended across the lobby. Wesley quietly handed out weapons and all the wizards and witches took out their wands. Sarah clung to Xander's leg while Xander Junior grasped Anya's hand. Every eye was turned to the door, everyone's breath was held in anticipation and everybody was tense. Buffy clutched a long sword Wesley had given her, and then grasped the Lupin's hand. She was nervous. She had never seen Death Eater's before and had never fought against them. Her heart pounded violently in her throat and she vaguely registered Xander instructing Anya to hide in Angel's office with their children.

And with an almighty crash, the doors of the Hyperion banged open and vampires and Death Eater's ran in. Time seemed to go more slowly as Buffy saw out of the corner of her eye, Anya run into Angel's office with Sarah and Xander Junior, Angel and Spike morphing into their vampire face and wizards and witches on both sides opened their mouths to utter spells.

And then time seemed to speed up again and Buffy found courage as Lupin squeezed her hand. She ran forward, clutching her sword in her hand which she was holding onto it so tightly that her knuckles were white. She vaguely registered red and green lights' shooting around her, but her mind was set on a particularly tall vampire with a sword, who was grinning menacingly at her. Her blade sung in the air as she lifted it and brought it down to meet the vampire's blade, light reflecting off the metal.

They moved quickly, their swords clashing as they tried to strike each other. Buffy swung at his legs but he blocked it and jabbed at her with his sword, but she moved out the way just in time. She tried a wide arching swing but he ducked out of the way and their blades clashed violently once more. The vampire swung at Buffy's hand but she blocked it and sent a high kick up at his face. He quickly regrouped and swung his sword down, but Buffy met it halfway and then jabbed at him in his chest. Her jab missed and they were back to trading blows again, as each blade tried to strike and was parried, as each kick was missed and as each punch was blocked.

The vampire snarled at her, his eyes moving from her face to somewhere behind her, and she twirled around, her blade slicing the air as she did. She swung at what had been an empty space behind her, but was now a cloud of dust as the vampire's head had been chopped off. She spun back around to face her vampire and chuckled at his surprised face.

"I'm a slayer." She explained, and the vampire grinned.

"It shall be more fun to kill you." He said hoarsely and he punched her. Buffy blocked his punch and roundhouse kicked to his side, but he quickly regrouped and sent her one in return. She ducked it and his momentum carried him around in a spin, and he raised his sword. Again they traded blows, and Buffy realized she was gaining the upper hand. She jabbed at his arm and sliced the flesh and red blood trickled down his arm. He growled and tried an arching swing from above, but Buffy quickly rolled out of the way and swung down at his legs. He had not been expecting this and he howled in pain as his feet were severed from his body. Jumping up, Buffy swung her sword at the vampires head and he quickly dusted.

She quickly glanced around and saw that Gunn and Wesley were tackling four vampires. She ran towards them and swung at a vampire from behind and he exploded in a cloud of dust. She grinned at the two men who nodded thankfully in returned to their fight, Buffy's help making it easier for them.

Buffy looked around again and saw Sirius dueling with a masked Death Eater, a glare set firmly in his handsome face. The woman cackled and Buffy knew immediately who it was. Lupin had told her of the woman who had killed Sirius, her cackle, her heavily lidded eyes visible from the slits in the mask. Buffy walked to Sirius, set in a fast pace, unconsciously twirling her sword in her hand. Her body was dripping with rage; she badly desired to hurt the witch who had killed Sirius.

But before she could do so, three vampires jumped out in front of her, having been hiding behind the mass of black clothed Death Eaters and the Order members. Buffy slowly raised her sword, the metal glinting, reflecting the different colours of lights that were shooting around the room, having been omitted from wands.

"Slayer." One of the vampires said. He had blond hair and was staring at Buffy. He growled and Buffy smiled.

"Vampire." She returned, her eyes traveling across the vampires, all in game face. The one on the far left, with black hair and oriental features, licked her lips and placed a delicate hand on her leather clothed figure. She whispered something to the one in the middle, her partner, and he placed a hand on the girl's stomach. Without warning, the vampire on the right lunged at Buffy, his hands outstretched, his yellow eyes glinting maliciously. The other two oriental looking vampires watched amusedly. They clearly thought it was all a game. He tackled Buffy to the ground and her sword fell to the floor with a cold clatter. Buffy quickly kicked him off and jumped up, crouching in a defensive position. The three vampires attacked simultaneously and Buffy's instincts went wild. She punched and kicked right left and centre, her fist impacting with flesh, her boot striking heads.

An arm wrapped around her neck, another around her waist and she pulled up against the Oriental male vampire. The girl and the blond vampire snarled at her and Buffy felt with a groan, the vampire's fingers traveling up towards her chest. As soon as he bared his teeth, leaning in for a bite, Buffy flipped him over, and his body crashed to the floor. A stake flew out of nowhere, and it impacted with the vampire's heart. He exploded into dust, and Buffy glanced at her rescuer. Angel shrugged casually.

"Thought you needed a hand." He offered, smiling.

"I am the slayer." Buffy said as she caught a stake Angel threw her. She punched the female vampire and deftly staked her. "I can hold my own." She finished, kicking at the remanding vampire. He jumped, missing her kick and Angel punched him while in the air. The vampire fell to the floor with a smack, and Angel staked him.

"My mistake." He said.

Not so far away, Sirius stared at Angel and Buffy through narrowed eyes. His fist clenched around his wand and he omitted a soft growl as Angel and Buffy tackled two vampires, working in perfect unison.

"Aw, is Black jealous?" A teasing voice called and Sirius turned around, facing Bellatrix Lestrange once again. He had been duelling with her before, but she had run off and Sirius had duelled with another Death Eater. But now she was back, her eyes fixed on him through the slits in her mask, her dark coloured wand raised. "Don't you stay dead?" She asked, tilting her head to the side.

"I'll kill you." Sirius threatened, raising his wand.

Bellatrix glanced at his wand and then back at Sirius. "How's dear old Harry?" She mocked, her eyes dancing maliciously.

"_Furnunculus__!"_Sirius shouted, but Bellatrix blocked the curse and cackled.

"That the best you got?" Bellatrix mocked, and Sirius gritted his teeth.

_"Crucio!"_He yelled, and as soon as the curse left his lips, Bellatrix screamed in pain as the curse took over her body. She shook violently and her fists clenched and her knuckles white.

"See how you like it." Lupin whispered hoarsely, standing beside Sirius. He glared at Bellatrix, his thoughts occupied by Frank and Alice Longbottom, who had been tortured to madness by this curse…by Bellatrix. Sirius glanced at Lupin from the corner of his eye, his wand poised in the air, the curse still wracking Bellatrix's body. After another blood curdling scream on Bellatrix's part, Lupin whispered, "Leave it Padfoot."

Sirius regretfully lowered his wand, the curse breaking. Bellatrix's screams subsided and she shakily stared up at Sirius. Her eyes were masked in fury, and she stood defiantly. "You will pay for that, Black." She spat.

"No he won't." A voice said from behind, and Bellatrix screamed again, and a blade stuck out of Bellatrix's stomach, dripping with blood. Buffy withdrew the sword, and kicked Bellatrix down. Bellatrix raised her wand, and Buffy kicked it aside. "You killed my boyfriend." She whispered to Bellatrix.

"Aw, how sweet." Bellatrix said shakily. "Black is being protected by a girl."

Buffy glared at Bellatrix and pulled off the mask from her head. Black, glossy hair tumbled down from underneath, sweat shined on her face and heavily lidded dark eyes glared at Buffy. "I'm not just any girl. I'm a slayer. And Lily's Evan's sister." Bellatrix's eyes lit up. "And you're master killed my sister." Buffy said hoarsely.

"The sister." Bellatrix breathed, her eyes alight with delight. "The sister…in the prophecy."

"What?" Buffy spat. "What prophecy?" Bellatrix only smiled sinisterly. "The one about Harry?"

"No." She replied. "The one about y-."

_"Stupefy!" _A flash of red light came soaring towards Buffy and she yelped as she felt strong arms envelop her and move her away from the spell's direction. Even though this was not the desired effect the Death Eater wanted, he had enough time to collect Bellatrix, other Death Eater's and vampires surrounding him from harms way. Voldemort's followers hurried out of the Hyperion, sending spell's and curses as they went.

"Thanks Angel." Buffy said, "But it wouldn't have done much harm."

"All I know is, curse equals bad, and that was definitely a curse." Angel replied, releasing his hold. He glanced around the lobby room and his face fell. "Their all gone."

"Shall we go after them?" Wesley asked, joining them.

Buffy shook her head. "No." She said, glancing around the room. "We have casualties; we need to tend to our own." She looked at Angel and gasped. "Angel, your hurt." She said, placing her hand gingerly on the side of Angel's torso.

"I'm fine." He said, wincing slightly as Buffy touched the wound. "Other people are worse off."

Buffy nodded, stepping away from Angel. "We should go." She said to Sirius and Lupin, who were watching the pair. "Magical care will be better for them."

Lupin nodded and eyed Angel warily. "Are you ok?" He asked, placing a hand on Buffy's shoulder. "That was quite…" He trailed off, glancing at the blood stained sword on the floor.

"I was mad." Buffy admitted softly. "I'm sorry."

"I'm glad you did it." Sirius said. "Served that bitch right."

"Padfoot…" Lupin chastised half heartedly.

"She did deserve it, Moony." Sirius returned. Lupin shrugged, dismissing the subject.

"What was she talking about?" Lupin said. "A prophecy?"

"I've had enough of those to last me a lifetime." Buffy said, rolling her eyes to the ceiling. "But did you notice that the Death Eater's left as soon as Bellatrix was going to tell us who it was about?"

"They did not want Bellatrix blabbing." Sirius said softly. "But what's the prophecy about, and who?"

"Who knows?" Buffy said dismissively. "Gather everyone together; we should leave as soon as possible."

"Will they come back?" Wesley asked, casting a nervous glance to the doors.

"I doubt it." Buffy said. "We killed the vampires, and lots of the Death Eaters are hurt. They won't come back in a hurry." She walked off, leaving the four men behind.

"Are you alright B?" Faith called, approaching Buffy.

"Yeah. How about you?"

"Five by five." Buffy nodded, and her eyes flitted around the room. They darted around Order members, some wounded, some not, her friends, some wounded some not. "We got off pretty cheap, considering." Faith said, and Buffy nodded.

"Thanks for coming."

"No problem." Faith said. "Shall I get everyone together?"

"Yes. We'll leave soon."

Several minutes later, the kitchen of Grimmauld Place was suddenly disturbed from its peace and quiet. Several loud 'pop's' sounded in the air, and three groups of people appeared in the room among the furniture.

"Mom, let's do it again!" A tiny boy shouted, tugging on a pregnant blonde's sleeve.

"Bloody hell, let's not." A tall man with platinum hair said, clutching his head.

"You ok An'?" A built, brown haired man asked the pregnant woman. Anya nodded and smiled.

"That was fun. I think the unborn kid liked it." Anya said with her hand on her stomach. Xander quickly put his hand on Anya's stomach and smiled proudly.

"I'm so tired." Willow announced, seating down on a chair. "That fight really took a lot out of me."

"Me too Will." Xander said, and the two hugged tightly. They had left in a hurry, and Willow had not greeted Xander properly. Around the hugging friends, wounded Order members sat on chairs and were tended to by those more able. Thankfully, no one was terribly hurt.

Buffy smiled and walked past Angel to Sirius, who was sitting on a chair, his eyes closed. "Tired, Sirius?" She joked, and Sirius grinned, standing up so Buffy only reached his shoulders. "Miss me?" She asked, and Sirius kissed her soundly on the lips, his arms wrapping around her waist, unaware of the jealous and hateful stares the two vampires were giving him. Buffy parted from him slowly, and sighed happily. And then the Xander put his arm firmly around Buffy's shoulders, and Sirius' eyes narrowed.

"Who the hell are you and why are you kissing Buffy?" Xander asked, and Buffy swatted him in the chest, smiling.

"Xander, this is Sirius Black. We are kinda…"

"I saw." Xander said, eyeing Sirius up and down. "Look mate, I'm pretty much Buffy's big brother so I've got to ask you two questions."

"Go on." Sirius replied.

"Do you have a pulse?" Sirius nodded bewildered, holding out his wrist. Xander did not check. "Are you part of some secret branch of the government that experiments with demons?" Sirius shook his head bewilderedly, and Xander sighed with relief. He clapped a hand on Sirius' back, and smiled that goofy, boyish smile of his. "Nice to meet you, I'm Xander Harris."

"Sirius Black."

"Anya Harris. And this is Sarah, and Xander Junior." The pregnant woman said.

Sirius smiled his greetings, and looked to the other two people he did not know in the room. One of them was a punky blonde man and the other tall man, with spiky hair and a large forehead.

"Name's Spike." The blonde said, lighting a cigarette.

"Angel."

Sirius unconsciously placed an arm around Buffy and pulled her closer, feeling inner satisfaction at the soft growl that was emitted from Angel.

"Wes and the gang didn't want to come back with us?" Faith said, looking around the group.

"They decided to stay." Angel said.

"Where was Giles? I didn't see him fighting." Willow said who was unaware that Giles was currently in hospital.

Buffy opened her mouth to tell Willow the terrible news, but was saved by the kitchen door opening and the few Order members who had not gone to LA entering the room, including Molly, Moody and Dumbledore.

"Hey Dumble-d." Buffy greeted. "Mission was successful, and I brought back some spares." She said. She pointed to her friends and started to introduce everyone, for everyone's benefit. "This is Xander, Anya, his wife, their two kids, Sarah and Xander Junior. That's Angel and he is-"

Buffy was interrupted by a loud growl and an exclamation. Moody shouted with his wand out and he jumped at Spike. "You!"

I know, I know, another cliffhanger. But you like those, right?

Please review! It's my birthday and I'm fifteen so you have to review!


	29. Family Affair

Hi everyone! I'm so sorry for the lateness of this chapter…biology investigation came back with a vengeance. Who even cares why temperature affects amylase? Argh. Stupid biology. Anyway…that is the reason why I have not updated for like ages…so, like I said…sorry.

Thanks for all the reviews! And thanks to everyone who wished me a happy birthday! I feel the love in this room…

Ok, now I'm going to do that thing where I answer questions…so yeah…doing that thing:

Midnight: Thanks for the song! And as for the suggestion, thanks…but no. I love Spike as much as the next guy, but I don't want Spike to mess up the Buffy/Sirius relationship. Note the wording…clue!

Sarah: Revelation. I think…I'm not quite sure myself.

SeleneaD: Your right…it's kind of not American. I'm sorry, I'm English myself…so I kinda have an excuse…not really. But anyway, yeah, 'mate' is definitely not American. It sounds more…pirate-y, like 'ahoy matey!' Ignore me.

Sam-453: You're going on study leave! Aw…gonna miss you…but, you'll have plenty of time to write fanfiction…and revise of course. Duh.

Ok, time for the bad news people. Normally you get chapter at least twice a week (except for recently when I've slipped up) but that ain't gonna happen anymore. Because I have these little things called exams in June…and I really have to start revising sometime soon, so that means updates will be less frequent. But I'll definitely try to get one in once a week, ok?

Anyway, enough waiting around, on with the chapter!

Chapter 30. Family affair

Buffy quickly removed herself from Sirius' grasp and placed herself between Moody and Spike. Moody looked absolutely livid, and Spike…Spike had vague look of recognition.

"What the hell are you doing?" Buffy asked Moody angrily, and Moody looked behind her, his wand hand shaking in anger.

"That…that…" He stuttered in rage, raising his wand. He pushed Buffy out of the way and shouted his curse. _"Avada Kedavra!"_

A blinding green light shot out of Moody's wand and impacted with Spike's chest. Spike's face bore an expression of pain, anger and annoyance. He stumbled back, and then shook himself as the green light dimmed. Smirking evilly, he punched Moody in the face, knocking the wizard back, and both wizard and vampire howled in pain.

"Bloody hell! Stupid bloody chip!" Spike yelled, holding his head in his hands.

Buffy rushed to Spike's side, and removed his hand. She then backhanded him and he fell against the wall. "What the hell was that Spike?" She asked angrily, and then turned to Moody, who was being restrained by several other Order members, who were looking at him with shock. "And you! What did you do to him?"

"Cursed me with the killing curse, slayer." Spike said, pushing himself off the wall. He stared hard at Moody. "Funny thing is, you can't kill someone who has been dead for over a century." He spat. "When I get this bloody chip out of my head, I'm gonna…" He face changed, showing his vampire face. His yellow eyes glinted dangerously, and he grinned at the shrieks of shock that the order members issued. "That's right. I'm a vampire. I'm already dead you pillock! But you already knew that…Alastor." Spike drawled, grinning evilly at Moody, a grin that reminded Buffy of the old Spike…the Spike who had tried to kill her, many times. Buffy groaned softly.

"What did you do to him, Spike?" Buffy asked carefully.

_Is anyone there? Please…please help me…_

_He's taken my wand…I do not know where it is…_

"He killed my sister." Moody growled. "Her name was Bethany."

_Run! I'll hold him off! Get help! _

Buffy glared at Spike, and he lifted his hands to his leather clad chest in mock surrender. "I was evil, Slayer. There was no limits to what I did."

_Are you alright Alastor?_

_My leg…My leg…_

_We'll never be able to fix it Alastor…you've lost your leg forever…_

Buffy looked at Moody who was staring hard at Spike, his hand clenched tightly around his wand, his knuckles were white. No one was restraining him now, but the fact that Dumbledore was close stopped Moody from doing anything. It was the Scoobies versus the Order. While the Scoobies were horrified of what Spike had done in the past, he was one of them. They had second chances, and Spike was living his. They stood close enough to Spike so they could protect him as a unit, and far enough so it would not look as if they were ganging up on the wizards.

_Bethany__? __Bethany__ wake up! Merlin…wake up!_

"I was working for Voldemort at the time." Spike said.

"Voldemort?" Faith repeated, thunderstruck. Spike had never mentioned this before.

"Dru liked him. Said he had power…said he would do terrible things. So we went along…killed people, had a good time," The wizards were looking a bit sick and disgusted, but Moody was inching closer every time Spike opened his mouth. Faith shot Moody a glare, and he stopped, but the look of absolute hate never left his face. "One night, I was walking about and I found this girl…pretty little bint bumped into me…I took her down to my place and played with her. Then he," Spike pointed to Moody who was almost growling with hatred, "shows up and does this magic…I kill the girl and fight him. And as you can see, I won." Spike finished, gesturing his hand to Moody's wooden leg. There was a collective gasp, and Spike's smile grew.

"Geez, Captain Peroxide, you don't have to look so happy about it." Faith said, frowning.

_You bastard! I'll kill you…bastard!_

"Sorry mate." Spike said after glaring at Faith. He stuck out his hand to Moody and raised an eyebrow. "I'm truly sorry." He added, but he did not sound it. In fact, he did not truly mean it, for Spike had enjoyed killing the girl. It was what he did, in those days.

_I'm very sorry for your loss Alastor…_

"You are friends with this murderer?" Moody hissed, and Buffy raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. Several actually. Spike's a murderer, Angel's a murderer, Faith went on a killing spree ten years ago," Charlie's eyes shot to Faith's, challenging her with a stare. 'Is it true?' his look read, and Faith, thinking of nothing else to do, looked down at her hands. That was the only answer Charlie needed, and he cringed. "Anya caused pain and suffering wherever she went, and Giles…" Buffy trailed off, and her eyes filled with tears again.

"Where is Giles?" Willow asked curiously, not noticing Buffy's saddened state.

Xander took Willow's hand, and her eyes widened. She shook her head desperately, what she had feared was being confirmed in the look in Xander's eyes. "No…" She whispered.

"Coma." Buffy said silently. "He got stabbed by a demon."

Willow shook her head, her hand rising up to cover her open mouth, her eyes wide. "Not Giles…"

"He's in LA?" Faith asked quietly, shocked also, but unlike Willow, whose tears were leaking from her eyes, she was saving her grief for later. Buffy nodded.

"Tara's looking after him."

"I should go…" Willow said, standing up and releasing her hand from Xander's. "I have to see him…tell him…"

Buffy walked quickly to Willow and placed her hands on the red heads shoulders. "There's no point Willow…he won't be able to hear you…"

"I want to be there in case he…if he…" Willow sobbed into Buffy's shoulder, her tears soaking Buffy's top. The Order members shuffled nervously around, not knowing what to do and feeling incredibly uncomfortable about the fact that they were intruding in an almost family situation. Moody was still glaring at Spike, but the fact that Dumbledore motioned for him to do nothing, stopped him from carrying their conversation further. Buffy sat Willow down on a chair and Xander took one of Willow's hands in his, trying to be the strong one again. But it broke his heart whenever he saw Willow cry, and he fleetingly wondered if the Snoopy Dance would cheer her up.

"Perhaps we best get to Hogwarts…I'm sure you are all tired." Dumbledore said, smiling softly at Willow. He reminded her of a grandfather…and she was grateful he was here.

Spike smirked at Moody, knowing that he was winding him up. He did feel sorry for Moody's sister…but he had no chip back then. It was not his fault that he liked to drink humans.

"Can't wait Oz." Spike said.

"Willow my dear, are you alright?" Dumbledore asked, peering over his spectacles. Willow sniffed and nodded, blowing discreetly on a tissue Xander gave her.

"All set." She said quietly, feigning a smile.

Dumbledore nodded kindly and produced a large broom from behind him. He held it out, and knowing what to do by now, the Scoobies plus Sirius crowded around it, luggage in a tight grasp. In a saddened silence, they disappeared.

The group made their way to Buffy's rooms, the visitors taking in the castle. There were soft gasps of 'woah', 'awesome' and 'great googly-moogley', but no one wanted to make too much noise, Willow was still subdued and upset and Faith was troubled that Charlie had found out about her past the way he had. She was not angry with Buffy, but it would do some good to Buffy if she just kept her mouth shut for a while.

Sirius and Buffy led the way, hand in hand, Sirius able to walk around freely as a human because it was almost time for curfew. They arrived outside Buffy's portrait and Spike did a double take.

"Dru?"

"My Spike." Drusilla returned and Spike raised an eyebrow at Buffy.

"She's your door?" He asked, and Buffy rolled her eyes.

"A painting on the door, I give her the password and the door opens."

"Which is?"

"Hellmouth." The door opened and the Scoobies piled inside. "Come in." Buffy said, and the two vampires stepped inside. They were amazed by the room, gold and red colours shone in the firelight, a dim glow set across the room, making it feel cosy and homely.

Anya sighed and sat down on the sofa, her hand pressed to her large belly. "I'll be glad when this is over." Anya said smiling weakly at the father of her children. "I'm so tired."

"Sarah and Xander are out." Xander said, laying the sleeping Sarah on the sofa next to Anya, Xander Junior walking sleepily to the other side of his mother and settling comfortably there. The rest of the Scoobies placed themselves around the room, Buffy settling near enough to Sirius to touch him, but far away enough to be decent.

It was silent. All that could be heard was the gentle crackling of the fire and Willow's soft sniffs. It was oddly calming in this fairytale type castle, and any sorrow against Moody Spike had been feeling before, or jealousy Angel had been feeling had disappeared.

"I'll give you guys the full tour tomorrow, ok?" Buffy said quietly, her hands entwined with Sirius'. "You can see everything in the day."

"Uh…slayer." Spike said, raising his hand. "Got a slight sunlight allergy, y'know?"

Buffy smiled. "Tomorrow night I'll show you guys the castle then, ok Spike?"

Spike nodded, satisfied. "So what's your story?" He asked Sirius and Sirius swallowed nervously. He normally was not shy, but being around Buffy's friends, two whom were vampires, was intimidating.

"My name's Sirius Black. I'm Harry's god father."

"The-boy-who-did-not-die?" Anya asked tiredly, and Buffy smirked.

"That's another name for it." Harry said, walking through the portrait door with Hermione, Ron and Dumbledore in tow.

"I thought you said you had a password?" Anya asked and Buffy nodded.

"They know it though. Only close friends know it." Buffy smiled up at Harry hopefully, but he avoided her gaze. "Um, this is Harry, and his friends Hermione and Ron." Hermione waved nervously and Ron nodded with a boyish smile on his face. "This is Xander, Anya, Angel, Spike, and Anya's and Xander's children, Sarah and Xander Junior."

"It's like a boy Willow." Xander quipped, grinning at Ron's hair.

"Hermione's more like Willow, with the whole smart thing." Faith said.

Hermione stared at Spike curiously, enough for him to notice and become annoyed about. "What?" He spat, turning to look at her. Hermione blushed and took a small step away from him, nearer to Harry and Ron.

"Aren't you a vampire?"

Spike grinned, and confirmed Hermione's question when he transformed, his yellow demonic eyes glinting maliciously. Hermione squealed and her hands flew to her mouth and Ron and Harry made more manly reactions.

"It's all right guys." Buffy said, smiling. "He's neutered."

Ended on a kinda weird note there…it was supposed to be two separate chapters, but I realized that it would be too short so I stuck them both together. So just think of it as two chapters stuck together…which it is…I'm so confused…

Review please!


	30. And We're Learning What?

Thanks for all of the reviews! They make my day! You guys seriously rock!

Kady Rilla Wholi: Yay! Thank you so much, you actually noticed it! No one so far has mentioned the prophecy in their review, and I'm so happy that you have! The prophecy is going to incredibly important; in fact, it'll be the centre of the story. So thank you so much for noticing the prophecy!

This chapter is a nothing kind of chapter…just a little filler before the big stuff start happening again.

Anyway, on with the chapter.

Chapter 30.

It was quiet for a while. It seemed that the action was over, and the calm was starting. Boy was that wrong.

Buffy sat in her room, reading a Defence against the dark arts textbook. It was quite interesting; it was amazing how the wizarding world worked; it was so refreshing to see something different from living a 'muggle' life. But of course, there were the similarities between the two worlds. Draco Malfoy seemed to be Hogwarts version of high school Cordelia. And there was that whole business of good versus evil, which was similar in the 'muggle' world.

Faith and Willow had gone to LA as soon as Buffy had told them about Giles, and they had returned hours later, even worse. Willow had gone straight to her room and had not come out for days, and Faith had filled Buffy in on the details.

Tara had blanked Willow during the whole trip, and she did not offer any comfort to Willow when they had gone to the hospital. Willow had not seen it, but Faith had, and Faith had mentioned to Buffy that Tara had been tempted to comfort her, pull her in her arms and 'fuck the shit outta her', but Tara had pulled back, apparently thought the better of it and had resisted the temptation.

Faith had been subdued lately. Charlie had left abruptly for Romania and would not be coming back till next Friday-Halloween. So Faith had no idea how Charlie felt about the 'killing spree', but judging from the look he gave her that night, he did not like it.

The Order was in an uproar about Faith. They did not think they could trust her, because of the mistakes she had made before. It angered Buffy, but she constantly reminded herself that she had acted in a similar way before. Dumbledore, who was one of the few Order members who trusted Faith, was trying to convince them to see that Faith was not a murderer anymore. It was extra hard with Moody, apparently, who was angry at Buffy for bringing Spike and Faith with her. He still had not got over the fact that Buffy was very close to the person who had killed his sister…and it seemed as if he would not forgive Spike for a long time.

Harry was still angry with Buffy; he blanked her whenever she saw him and ignored Buffy and Sirius together. He was spending time with Hermione and Ron more, getting 'Dumbledore's Army' back on its feet, and the first meeting was to be held on Monday night. And everyone was coming. Including Cho.

Harry stood at the front of the room of Requirement, looking out the members. Ron, Hermione, Ginny, the rest of Gryffindor sixth years, Ernie and his friends, Cho and her friends, Luna, Colin and his brother and newcomers…Nisha Shah and her two friends, and the rest of the new Gryffindor team with their friends. Altogether, there were about twenty five members.

"Hi everyone…" Harry said his throat dry and his palms sweaty. He had never been a good public speaker. "I'm glad you came back. We're going to revise the stuff we did last year for today, and then next time, we can learn something new. So if everyone could…uh…get into pairs…"

Everyone obeyed Harry's orders and they started to practice. Left and right, people were shooting disarming spells, Body Binds and Patronuses. Cho was partnered with Michael Corner and she seemed to be setting his hair on fire whenever she said the disarming spells. Wands flew all over the place, people yelled in pain as they were set on fire and in general, it was an absolute mess. Almost everyone had forgotten the stuff they had learnt and Harry was getting a bit frustrated.

"Ok, stop!" He yelled over the mass noise, but no one paid any attention to him, as no one could hear him.

Grabbing a whistle on a nearby shelf, he blew it and everyone stopped and looked to him expectantly.

"That was…" He trailed off, not quite sure what to say. "Well, there is room for improvement. A lot of improvement." He added, ignoring Ernie's glare. "Let's just start again with the disarming spells." Everyone partnered up again, and it was much better. There was still the occasional book flying off the shelves and hair catching fire, but it was still better.

Harry lost track of time and before he knew it, it was time to end. They were to meet again in two weeks, and they were supposed to practice.

Everyone filed out of the room, Luna throwing Harry a dazed smile before she left and Harry, Hermione and Ron left the Room of Requirement together, talking about the success of the first meeting.

It was full moon again, and not only the sixth years, but the fifth and fourth years needed Buffy's assistance. Which irked Snape to no end, as his memory of the first lesson was still fresh in his mind. As long as she did not try anything today, it was fine.

Oh how wrong he was.

The sixth year was still on vampires and demons, and today was going to be a practical lesson.

So Buffy brought Spike and Angel along.

The classroom's windows were covered with a material that could not let sunlight in so it was dark, except for the minute torches that hung on the walls, dangerously near paintings. The desks had been moved back a metre or two, leaving more space near the teacher's desk and the blackboard. The students filed in, whispering about the darkness of the classroom. They noticed Buffy and Snape quietly talking…or arguing together next to their desk, but they did not see anyone else, and they did not see that the reason why it was so dark was because two vampires stood in the corners, hidden from curious eyes as no light fell there.

Once everyone was seated in their places, Snape and Buffy turned to the class, Buffy wearing a large mischievous smile on her face. Snape only glared.

"Miss Summers has foolishly decided to bring two vampires in for today." There was an excited and scared murmur rippling the class, and Neville sunk slowly down in his seat.

"These two vampires are friends of mine," Buffy said chirpily, "So they will not hurt you and if they do, I'll deal with them. These two vampires are vampires you have learnt about…Spike and Angel-"There was an outburst of exclamation and noise as everyone twisted and turned in their seats, shouting across the room and complaining loudly. Buffy sighed and Snape sat in his seat, his arms folded. His lips pursed and a temple throbbing, he banged a heavy book on the desk and there was silence. Everyone turned to look at Snape.

"No need to get scared kids." A voice called out from the shadows. "I won't bite." Spike stepped out of the corner and grinned maliciously, his leather duster wrapped around him. The students near him tensed and fingered their wands.

"We don't drink human blood." Another voice said, and Angel stepped out of the shadows, his arms crossed across his chest. Students looked between the two vampires, realizing that they were trapped.

"Don't be scared kid." Spike said, clapping a hand on the student nearest to him…Draco. Draco tensed and stared straight ahead, glaring at Buffy who had an amused smirk on her face. She raised an eyebrow at Draco, daring him to say something, and he scowled.

"Nice lot of kids you got here." Spike said, removing his hand and lighting a cigarette. He inhaled and blew the cloud of smoke in Neville's face. Spike walked to the front. "Hey Potter." Spike said, cuffing Harry on the arm. Harry smiled up at him.

"How are you Spike?" He asked, and Dean leaned over to look at Harry.

"You know him?" He asked, horrified.

"Course, my _aunt_ is friends with him. Spike's been staying in Hogwarts for a week." He said 'aunt' bitterly and scowled at Buffy as he did. Only she noticed.

Buffy coughed quietly, averting Harry's hateful gaze. She could not cope with it right now. Ever since that fight she and Harry had, he had been cold to her. No, not cold, hateful.

"Shall we learn something then?" Buffy asked chirpily, and Angel and Spike both stood at the front, Snape sitting in his seat, glaring at Buffy's back.

Big stuff coming soon! Sneak preview:

Malfoy walked closer to Harry and Hermione tensed. "You would love that, wouldn't you? Announce that I'm a Death Eater. It would be the happiest day of your life. That and getting you stupid dead parents back to life."


	31. The Chip

Woo hoo! Quick update! This is mainly just procrastination…but whatever. Procrastination is good, right?

Lady Mione: Omg, you are so nice! Thank you so much for the review…that was so sweet, I am so glad you like this story! :)

Ok, I changed something here. Let's just pretend that ALL electricity in Hogwarts doesn't work, ok? Hey, artistic license right? So, no electricity in Hogwarts…good.

Chapter 31. Panic.

_Azkaban in Ruins_

Ever since the Dementors, guarders of Azkaban, joined He-who-must-not-be-named last year, Azkaban has been guarded by the world's top Aurors. It is a shame to inform you, that I, Jacqueline MacDonald, have just received word from Cornelius Fudge the Minister of Magic, that a mass breakout occurred overnight.

At the dead of night, in the island Azkaban is situated on, He-who-must-not-be-named and his followers invaded the prison. All prisoners have been broken out, including Death Eaters Harry Potter, the boy-who-lived, named last year. There are no survivors.

It seems that all Death Eater's have joined He-who-must-not-be-named, and more are becoming followers. Dementors, Giants, Death Eaters, Demons and Vampires are all joined together as followers. This, readers, is something that has never been seen before. In his first rise, he never had such a following as this. It is worse than plausible, and I wish everyone the best in luck of what is to come, as if will not be pleasant.

More on the breakout page 3.

Hermione sighed worriedly at placed the newspaper on the table, careful to avoid her pumpkin juice. Ron sat opposite her, stuffing his face with sausages and Harry was finishing his Defense against the Dark Arts homework, sneaking bites of bread in between writing sentences. The Great Hall was not empty, nor was it full as it was quite late in the morning and classes were about to start soon.

"Donefing bronk Nerhime?" Ron asked his mouth full. Hermione glared at him in disgust, and Ron swallowed his food. He grinned sheepishly, and repeated what he had said. "Something wrong Hermione?"

Hermione nodded and pointed to the newspaper. "The Death Eater's have broken out of Azkaban." She said quietly, and Harry's quill snapped in half. He looked up at Hermione, the two pieces falling to the floor.

"What?" He asked softly, and Hermione looked kindly upon him. He had been through so much in all these years.

"No survivors."

"No survivors?" Harry repeated, horror struck. "It was Voldemort right?" Ron dropped his goblet on the floor, pumpkin juice spilling onto the white stone.

"Yes." Hermione said sadly.

Ron glanced at Harry's horrified face, and he quickly stood up, brushing the crumbs off his lap. "We should get to class."

Harry walked quickly to his Potions lesson, Hermione and Ron behind him. He was upset, everything was terrible nowadays. Sure, he had Sirius back with him, but Buffy…he still hated her. He knew he should not, but he could not help it, the anger and hate was imprinted in his mind. And now this, the destruction of Azkaban, the freedom of the Death Eaters. It could only prove to be bad.

And to make Harry even more upset, Draco appeared in front of him, Crabbe, Goyle and Pansy behind him.

"Hello Potty."

"Get out of the way Ferret." Harry snapped, and Malfoy smirked.

"Not in a good mood today Potter? What a change." He said sarcastically.

"You're annoying today Malfoy? What a change." Harry retorted, and behind him, he could feel Ron and Hermione step closer to him. Goyle and Crabbe grinned dumbly, their wands clutched in their large fists. "I'm sure you're glad to have your father home though Malfoy."

Malfoy's smirk grew even more and he took a step closer to Harry. "Ecstatic Potter. And he'll be glad to see you, him and the Dark Lord."

"Dark Lord?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow. "Only Death Eaters call him that."

Malfoy walked closer to Harry and Hermione tensed. "You would love that, wouldn't you? Announce that I'm a Death Eater. It would be the happiest day in you life. That and getting you stupid dead parents back to life."

WHACK.

With a move a slayer would have been proud of, Harry slammed his fist quickly into Malfoy's head, knocking him to the floor. Behind him, Seamus, Dean, Hermione and Ron had their wands out, and in front, Crabbe, Goyle and Pansy had theirs. But it seemed that they knew that they knew they were outnumbered, for they quickly disappeared. Malfoy stood up weakly, his hand held to his head, blood dripping through his fingers.

"You bastard." He spat, and he drew his wand. Holding it to his chest, his cold grey eyes fixed to a stare with Harry's, he glared spitefully at him.

"What are you going to do about it Malfoy?" Harry taunted. "If you had not noticed, your followers have gone." And as Harry finished his sentence, five large seventh year boys appeared behind Malfoy, their wands raised, evil grins on their faces.

"What are you going to do now Potter?" He spat. "You're outnumbered."

Harry's face dropped, and Hermione put a reassuring hand on his elbow, slowly lowering it down. "Walk away Harry." She whispered in his ear, keeping a firm eye on Malfoy.

"You're letting Granger tell you what to do? Come on, duel."

"There will be no fighting." A lazy voice said from behind Harry and they all turned around to see Spike hidden in the shadows, calmly drinking from a flask. "Nice punch kid." He said to Harry, walking towards them, careful to stay in the shadows. "But all the same, no fighting. Otherwise I'll get involved, and trust me, you don't want me involved." Spike threatened.

"Spike, don't lie." Willow said, walking up to them, Buffy next to her. Buffy looked between the two groups, the wands that were pointed at each other, Malfoy's blood trickling down his pale face and Malfoy's and Harry's similar glares aimed at each other.

"You guys were fighting?" Buffy asked, her tone meaning business.

"He started it!" Ron said, pointing his wand at Malfoy.

"_Stupefy_!" One of the seventh years bellowed and Ron flew back, knocking Seamus to the ground.

Harry glared at the seventh year that had stunned Ron, and yelled, _"Petrificus Totalus!_" The spell hit the boy and he fell to the floor, rigid.

"Hey!" Buffy yelled, and she, Spike and Willow forced the two groups apart, Buffy, who was dealing with Malfoy, rather forcefully. The three elders situated themselves in the middle and Buffy was about to reprimand them, when,

"_Relashio__!"_ Malfoy yelled at Spike and fire flew to Spike's arm. Buffy looked at Draco in shock and then helped Spike put the fire out, who was currently stamping around on the floor, yelling "Bloody hell, it's hot!" As soon as the fire had been put out, Spike held his arm in pain and glowered at Malfoy. Rearing his un hurt arm, his face fixed in revenge, Buffy yelled 'no' and pushed Malfoy out of the way as Spike's fist came towards the spot Malfoy had just occupied and hit Buffy instead, sending her stumbling backwards.

Buffy and Willow stared at Spike in shock. The fact that he had tried to hit Malfoy was not a shock, nor was the fact that he had actually hit Buffy, but the fact that after his fist impacted with Buffy's chest he did not yell out in pain was what shocked the two girls. He stared at Buffy with a confused and amazed expression on his face, and his hand touched his bleached hair.

"Bloody hell." He said, looking back at Buffy. She walked closer to him and, unbelievably, punched him hard in the gut. Spike doubled over, holding his middle, then, straightening up and grinning as he realized what Buffy wanted him to do. "Been wanting to do this for eternity, slayer." He drawled, before fist met her shoulder and she flew back and hit the hard, stone wall. Buffy groaned and Spike walked towards her, looking down at her, menacingly. Buffy looked up, challenging him to do something with her eyes and Spike rolled his eyes. He offered a leather clad arm and Buffy clasped her hand in his and Spike pulled her up.

"Spike's chip…it doesn't…Spike chip…" Willow said dazedly, her finger outstretched as she pointed between the two blondes. "Not working…" she finished feebly.

"Already knew that Red." Spike said, amusedly.

"I don't understand," Buffy said, "Why does it not work?"

"Electricity." Willow offered after a while, "Electricity does not work in Hogwarts! And Spike's chip runs on electricity! So, no chip!" She concluded her eyes wide.

"He's a monster again." Hermione whispered, her eyes wide, her comment reminding the three Scoobies that the teenagers were still there. Although, the Slytherins seemed to have disappeared some time during the confusion.

Spike bowed his head and shoved his hands in the pockets in his leather duster. "Cuff me Slayer. Go on, send me back to army boy, get me fixed, and get the chip back." Spike said quietly, and Buffy touched his arm gently, a small smile on her face.

"I trust you Spike."

WHACK

Malfoy's head snapped to the side, as Hermione slapped her hand to his face. A red mark was imprinted on his pale face and he stared angrily at her.

"What the hell was that for?"

Hermione responded by slapping him on his other cheek, and he had another red mark.

"Bloody hell woman! What the hell was that for?" He repeated angrily. Hermione quirked her eyebrow and lifted her hand to slap him again. Malfoy saw it coming though and his hand caught her arm. His grey eyes searched the empty corridor and than his gaze returned to Hermione.

"You are the most… the most…I can't think what you are, but I know you're something bad!" Hermione said furiously, and Malfoy smirked.

"You're so cute when you're angry." Hermione lifted her other hand and Malfoy caught it before it impacted on his face. He looked Hermione in the eye. "I think we've had enough of that." He said, his hands still firmly placed on Hermione's arms.

"Was that really necessary? Talking about Harry's parents like that?" Hermione challenged furiously.

"Why not?" Malfoy asked maliciously and Hermione tugged her arms away from Malfoy's grasp. She rubbed them as they stung with pain from being held too tightly, and she glared at him angrily.

"You are so infuriating." She said through clenched teeth.

"That's why you love me." He joked, and his lips crashed down onto hers.

It's about time we saw some of them, because their relationship will be important…somewhere along the line…

Anyway…please review!! Give you a cookie if you do…well, maybe not a cookie, because I can't cook cookies…how about a cake? A piece of chocolate cake if you review! Cool…now I'm off to find some chocolate…I'm hungry now.


	32. In the Dark

Thank you all for the reviews! It makes me happy…and I like being happy so thanks!

Woah, ok, what's with the weirdness people? Do you remember many chapters ago the Hermione/Draco stuff? That is where the last chapter bit came from. Woah. Deep breath people, deep breath. And we're calm. To be clear, the Draco/Hermione relationship is not a relationship exactly. It's more like a weird kind of thing which will become clearer in later chapters.

Elsawriter: So lovely to hear from you again! I saw the name of the reviewer and I was like…I know you! You write that spiffy fic, which I love! So yay, me happy. Anyway, the kiss was not in public…it was completely private. I like to hear your theories…I'm not gonna tell you anything obviously, but it's nice to hear your theories. And as for the shipper thing, I'm an Angel/Buffy shipper. Angel and Buffy are destined for each other, but Spike is such a cutey patootie…

Ann of Midnight: That would have worked. Bollocks, too late now I guess. Thanks for the idea though! As for the career thing…no, I'm not thinking of writing for a living, this is just a hobby I like to do…but thanks for thinking that I could do it!

Ok, I have a rant to do. If you don't want to be spoiled for the new HP movie, look away now. If not, then read this. **They ruined Harry Potter!!!** What are they doing? What the hell was up with that movie! The movie was terrible, it wasn't true to the books at all, it was rushed, there was no Oliver Wood, the Dementors weren't even scary and they took out the crush on Cho! And all that is kind of important! **Argh!** Ok, rant over. On a side note, the acting is much better, Emma Watson is very pretty, and Daniel Radcliffe does look much better than the previous movies. Oh, and Lupin is so cool.

Anyway, on with the chapter.

Chapter 32. In the dark.

Snape strode down the corridors purposefully, his robe billowing behind him. His fists were clenched and his jaw set, and he could not get his thoughts off one person. A girl.

Buffy Summers.

The bane of his existence. He was fed up with her, talking to the students as if they were old friends, laughing happily at dinners, holding hands with Black in the Order meetings.

She was a nuisance. She was a Potter…good as anyway. She was related to Harry Potter, she was a mudblood and she was American. She could not be worse. But…she was.

It was Thursday night, and tomorrow was Halloween. Snape had just finished his last class with Buffy for the month. And how much he loathed her. She was an annoying, perky brat who thought first years were sweet…who thought that?

It was bad enough that she was American. It was terrible she was related to Harry Potter and was a mudblood. It was also terrible how she had brought that Faith girl to Hogwarts, who was loud, outspoken, constantly horny and was dating a Weasley. Used to. Snape still was not sure what had happened with the 'killing spree'.

But then, Buffy had to bring that Willow girl, the one with the insane red hair and reminded him constantly of Lily Evans. But Willow moped about the place, cried at every possible moment and learnt muggle magic.

And then, Buffy had to bring the rest of her friends to Hogwarts, including two vampires and an ex-vengeance demon.

And then, Buffy had to annoy him constantly at every single lesson they had, saying something ridiculous, or grinning insanely, or calling him silly names such as 'I'm-so-evil-so-I-glare'.

Annoying child.

But Snape would not put up with it any longer, oh no. He was marching to Dumbledore's office and he was going to put an end to this madness.

"Jelly beans." Snape said sharply and the gargoyle moved and Snape went to Dumbledore's office.

He was sitting at a chair behind his desk; his glasses perched on the bridge of his nose, hands clasped on the wooden desk and eyes twinkling when Snape came in. He got a funny feeling that Dumbledore had known he was coming, but he gave no more thought to it. Onto more pressing matters.

"You cannot do this to me any longer!" Snape said, banging his fist on the desk, but Dumbledore only smiled at him.

"Pray tell me Severus, what have I done to upset you so?"

"That…that…Summers girl!" He shrieked, and Dumbledore's smile grew.

"Yes, quite a delightful woman."

Snape's upper lip curled. "Delightful woman? Anything but! She is a plague on the school, a menace, an abominable teacher and an annoying creature!"

"Is that so?"

"Yes! She brought two vampires too our lessons on Monday! Did you know of this?" He said, pacing the room.

"Yes I did."

Snape glared at Dumbledore. "And you did not think to warn me? I had to spend hours in the classroom with that…that blond haired pillock and that brooding, infuriatingly quiet and sarcastic vampire! And to top it all off, I had to share my lesson time with Summers!"

"I do not see anything wrong with her." Dumbledore said quietly, sitting back in his chair.

"Did you not listen to a word I said?" She is insufferable, a menace, a hateful disease and I-"

"Have a colossal crush on her?" Dumbledore interrupted, and Snape stopped his pacing in shock. He stared at Dumbledore in disbelief, but Dumbledore merely smiled. "It is a shame you had not noticed sooner, Severus, but I have. You have a school girl crush on Buffy Summers."

Snape coughed in surprise. "I do not!" He defended, sounding like a petulant child.

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow and smiled that 'I know everything' smile. "I am afraid you do. It tears you up inside that Buffy Summers is everything you have been brought up to hate, is dating the man you loathe and is the aunt of a student you cannot stand."

Snape stood in a quiet astonishment, his fists clenched beside his thighs. Buffy Summers? He did not love her; he did not have a crush on her, not in a million years…

But…it was not like he had not loved someone like her before. It was plausible.

"When did you know this?" Snape asked roughly.

"I noticed the change after the apocalypse."

Snape gritted his teeth. "You did not think to tell me?"

Dumbledore smiled. "I thought you would have figured it out for yourself. I should have known better."

Snape huffed and turned abruptly. "Thank you." He said roughly, before leaving.

Sweeping out into the corridors, he strode quickly, but this time, without a purpose. It made sense that he loved Buffy, and in fact, Snape knew it.

Snape had a crush on Buffy.

It was disgusting, unbelievable and went against almost everything he had ever known. Except it made sense. He had felt like this to someone else before, the bubbling hate in his stomach when he saw her, the sarcastic and hateful comments when he spoke to her…except, the bubbling feeling of hate was mistaken for love, and the comments were not heartfelt.

The more he thought about it, the more he was persuaded he felt it, the more he knew it. He loved Buffy Summers.

But what to do? Live in secrecy; watch her every day as she was with Black…was that what he wanted to do? Or did he want to make his feelings known, at least to her? He did not know, and he was not planning on telling anyone yet, and he desperately hoped he could avoid Buffy for a while.

But he should have known that bad things happened to him, as Buffy Summers came into view as he walked down a corridor. Snape almost growled, and he looked behind him, looking for an escape. But it was too late, there were no passageways leading off here, no classrooms, he just had to continue. He prayed that she would not talk to him.

"Snapey!"

Why do bad things happen to him?

Snape stopped abruptly and Buffy walked quickly up to him, that annoying smile on her face.

"Summers." He said through gritted teeth, and Buffy raised an eyebrow.

"What's up with you?" She asked, and Snape glared at her.

"None of your business." He said coldly.

"You really should get that pole removed Snape, y'know, the one up your ass?"

Snape growled, and he forced himself to look at her. Her green eyes glittered back at him, and he groaned inwardly. Why did she have to be so pretty? Why did she have those eyes, those eyes he had a weakness for?

"Excuse me." He said, trying to move past her, but Buffy stuck her arm out, stopping him. Her hand rested on his upper arm, and Snape groaned inwardly again.

"Hold you horses." Buffy said smiling and Snape glared down at her, uncomfortably aware that they were incredibly close.

The hallway was dark, lit by torches and the shadows made by the flames danced across her face, making her even more beautiful. Snape was not breathing, and it seemed neither was she, because of shock or because of something she felt too. But which one was it?

"What do you want with me?" He asked hoarsely, his breath blowing on her face.

"I should ask you the same question." She breathed, her hand had not moved from his arm and one of his hands had moved to her hips. When Snape made no answer, Buffy smiled softly, almost nervously. "You intrigue me."

"There is nothing interesting about me." Snape said angrily. It was peculiar; it was almost as if they had swapped places. Snape was no longer the intimidating one, it was Buffy.

"Oh, but there is." She retorted annoyingly.

"Do not annoy me, Summers." And his lips crashed down onto hers. He moved by instinct, his hands resting on her hips, tangling through her hair, his mouth devouring her roughly.

Buffy's eyes had widened as he had kissed her, kissing her roughly and hardly, bruising her lips, but then…then it was gentler, with plenty of passion and hold on a second!

This was Snape! Disgusting, slimy, greasy haired, broody Snape! And Buffy was with Sirius! But oh god, Snape knew how to kiss a girl…oh yes. It was different from Sirius, Snape was dangerous, dark, and evil and Buffy loved it. He was not safe, but neither was Sirius. And to Buffy, at this moment, Sirius did not matter.

Snape pushed her up against the wall, and Buffy's hands rose to his neck, then to his chin, then back to his neck. His tongue flicked sensually against the tip of hers, and Buffy felt shivers run down her back…it was like electricity. It was completely wrong, but she did not care.

She gained control, turning him so his back was against the wall, her hands grasping the rough material of his black robes. His hands traveled down her back and under her thin material of her top, the two of them not noticing as Snape's wand fell to the floor.

Both of them not noticing where Sirius stood, metres away from the pair, his face contorted with anger and hurt.

Hehe, I love cliff hangers. I'm sure many of you are cringing right now. I was writing this…but it had to be done. Anyway, please review!


	33. Confrontations

Wow. I mean…wow. I received so many reviews I am…wow…you reviewers ROCK!

I'm not going to try and answer all the reviews, but it was very funny reading everyone's reviews who were questioning my sanity. I'm just going to say, I hated it as much as you did, Snape is ew, and poor Sirius, but it had to be done. Let me just tell you this though; if you thought that was bad…wait a couple more chapters. Things are gonna get even worse.

**Attention** There is so bad language ahead, so beware.

Chapter 33. Confrontations.

Buffy walked quietly back to her room, her hand busy with fixing her untidy hair. Her clothes were ruffled and creased; her lip stick smeared over her face and her bra strap was unhooked.

She felt even worse than she looked. She had kissed Snape, Snape the disgusting, slimy, greasy haired, broody, glare-y Potions Master. What the hell was wrong with her?

It seemed fine at the time, exciting, dangerous, something new, even though she had just found Sirius. The thought of Sirius had disappeared from her mind though at the time, and only reappeared when Severus unhooked her bra. All the feelings of how it was wrong, how he was so wrong for her, and how much Buffy cared for Sirius came flooding back and Buffy had shoved Snape off her (forcibly) and had hurried out of the corridor.

Buffy wrung her hands as she walked quickly and down the corridors, torches alight on the walls. She had a problem now. Two, in fact.

Buffy knew a passionate and meaningful kiss when she took part in one, and she had known immediately that the kiss was not just a meaningless thing for Snape. In fact, it seemed as if he had really wanted to kiss her…and that meant…

Snapey? Mr-I'm-so-evil-so-I-glare? Had a crush on her?

Ew.

That was not of the nice thoughts. Oh no. But Buffy could say right at that moment, that she did not have a crush on Snape. Oh no. Far from it.

Problem number two-Sirius. The man she was supposed to be with. And if she was supposed to be with Sirius, why was she making with the kissage with Snape? Buffy had been naughty, and she wanted to clear her guilty conscience. Very badly.

It was not like she loved Sirius. But she cared for him a great deal, and Buffy knew, that given time, she could learn to love him. She had opened her heart to so many others before Sirius, and she had gotten shot down, so many times. Angel, Parker, Riley, Angel, Steven, who she had caught him cheating on her while living in Chicago three years ago. Her history with guys was not of the good.

So that was why Buffy had to come clean with Sirius. She liked him a lot, and she felt that he would never hurt her, and she wanted to do things right. So she would tell him that she had kissed Snape, his arch rival, and things will be ok.

Yeah, in her dreams.

She had kissed Snape, Sirius' arch rival! How bitchy could she get? Geez, let's stick a knife in Sirius' back while we're on it!

Ok, so maybe telling Sirius about the kiss was not such a good idea after all.

Buffy sighed as she muttered the password to Drusilla, and the portrait door swung open. All she wanted to do was settle down in her bed and close her tired eyes and let her mind at rest. Then, in the morning, she could think about telling Sirius.

Good plan. Buffy thought, as she took off her coat and opened the door to her room. Good plan.

Fuck the plan. She thought, as she spotted Sirius sitting on the edge of her bed, glaring at the floor.

Oh shit. He knew.

Sirius looked up to her, his blue eyes staring into her own.

Oh yeah, he knew.

Faith sat on the ground, the cold wet grass freezing her buttocks, but she did not care. Her legs were outstretched in front on her, she was resting on her hands that were placed on the cold grass and her eyes stared into the dark forest.

She was right at the border of the forest, lying down, and waiting for something evil to jump out at her. Two stakes and a knife lay next to her waist. Her heeled feet dug into the hard ground, her body metres away from being swallowed by the dark shadows. She enjoyed it out here. Not only was she taunting the evil creatures inside, but she was listening to the quiet. You did not get this kind of quiet in Los Angeles.

She was provoking evil. She was getting so close to it that evil could smell, see, and almost taste her. But they could not touch. Faith would not let herself touch evil.

Soft footsteps padded their way towards her from behind and Faith tensed. Not because she thought it was something evil, but because it was him. He stopped a metre away from her, watching her as she sat up and started to twirl her stake in her fingers.

"You're early." Faith said, breaking the silence.

"I couldn't stay away. I needed to know."

"You've kept away a lot. Arriving one day earlier doesn't tell me you cared." Faith retorted bitterly, still staring into the forest.

Charlie sighed behind her, and shifted his footing. "I tried to stay away, but my curiosity is starting to eat me."

Faith chuckled, an empty hollow sound. "So you want to know if I really went on a killing spree."

Charlie hesitated, but then decided to tell the truth. "Yes. I want to know the truth, everything."

"It's not all sunshine and roses, Charlie-boy." She said lightly, still looking into the forest. She had not looked at him yet.

"I'm aware."

Faith collected her weapons and stood up, brushing the seat of her pants. "You could run you know. Get the hell away from me as fast as possible and never look back."

"I don't want to."

"I'm giving you the easy way out."

"I think I care about you too much to do that." Charlie said softly, and Faith slowly turned to look at him, laying her eyes on him for the first time in many weeks. His hair was burnt, and was different lengths on his head. He was smiling that boyish grin, that grin that Ron and Xander seemed to have. Comforting. His robes were old and worn, burnt patches on it from some dragon or another and his boots were caked in mud.

God, she had missed him.

Faith started to walk back to the castle, and Charlie followed quietly, waiting for her to start talking. She swallowed nervously and started. "It was an accident. B and I were patrolling and I accidentally staked a man. B freaked, and so did I, but I hid it. That's always been my thing I guess, hiding what I really feel. Five by five, all the fucking time, but I wasn't. Not really."

And so Faith poured out everything that had happened, her father-daughter relationship with the Mayor, the many times she killed, the sick feeling in her stomach when she did it, the fight with Buffy, the feeling of her knife sliding into her gut, her awakening from her coma, the driving hate for Buffy, her recruitment at Wolfram and Hart, the self hate she felt as she tortured Wesley, the desperation she felt when she tried to persuade Angel to kill her, her imprisonment, her escape, when Buffy had helped her out many years ago and the never ending guilt of the lives she took and the feelings she hurt in that one year she was bad.

Buffy closed the door behind her and stood to face Sirius. She casually threw her jacket on the chair across the room and took her wand from out of her pocket and put it on her bedside table. Throughout this, her hands were shaking nervously and she was well aware that Sirius' eyes were on her.

She had never seen so much pain before. At least, not in a human. After Angel had come back from hell, his eyes told of the pain and torture he had suffered there, and from the look in Sirius' eyes, it seemed that he had suffered the same.

How the hell did he find out?

"I saw you." He said gruffly and Buffy stopped in her tracks.

Freaky.

"Kissing…him." Sirius added after some effort. Buffy sighed sadly and willed herself to look at him.

"Sirius-"She started, but Sirius cut her off by standing abruptly.

"Don't make excuses Buffy. It's too late for that." He said angrily.

"But I didn't-"

"Didn't what? Break my bloody heart to see you two standing there, kissing like there was no tomorrow?"

Buffy felt awful. "I'm so sorry." She said quietly.

Sirius took a step toward her, his hands clenched in rage. "He's my fucking enemy Buffy! The person I hate the most besides Peter!"

"I didn't mean to. It just happened." Buffy argued.

"Sure, so your lips just fell onto his?" Sirius asked angrily. "I've heard it before, Buffy. But I'd never thought I'd hear it from you, I never thought I'll be in this position with you. What happened to the Buffy I used to know?"

"She grew up Sirius!" Buffy shouted angrily. She did not feel guilty anymore, she felt angry. "I'm not a little kid anymore Sirius! I'm not little Buffy Evans, sweet, energetic little Buffy. I'm not her! She died when I became the slayer." Buffy added roughly, glaring at Sirius. "Why the hell are you with me if you think that's what I am?"

"Buffy-"He said, but now it was Buffy's turn to cut him off.

"If you're with me to keep the memory of my sister and her husband alive, then forget it. They're dead Sirius! I know you were in Azkaban, I know the Dementors did something to you which I can't understand, but they are _dead_ Sirius. Dating me is not going to bring them back, remind you of the memories we had, the good times we enjoyed together. They died a long time ago and you have to let it go. I am not Lily. Harry is not James. So let that rest!"

Sirius stared at her, dumbstruck. At first, Buffy thought he was upset, but as the seconds went on, he turned angry. "Is that what you think I'm doing? Do you think that the only reason I'm with you is because you're Lily's sister? Give me some more credit, for Merlin's sake! I'm with you, because I care about you! I'm with you, because I love the way you are, your determination, your strength, everything! If you think the only reason that I am with you is because you are Lily's sister, than you are severely mistaken."

Buffy sighed, closing her eyes briefly. She needed to think. Everything was too mixed up; she needed to sort things out. But Sirius wouldn't let her.

"Why the hell are you angry with me? You're the one that kissed bloody Snape! You're the one who bloody betrayed me! So don't get angry at me Buffy!"

Buffy opened her eyes again and looked directly at Sirius. His hair untidily fell about his face, his blue eyes spoke of hurt and anger and his fists were clenched firmly by his sides.

"Can we do this tomorrow?" Buffy asked, sitting on her bed, her eyes threatening to close. "I don't have enough strength for this. Not now."

Sirius glared at her and strode past her, stopping momentarily at the door. "Fine. You sleep. You talk about it in the morning. Just don't expect me to listen." And he slammed the door, the sound echoing in Buffy's room.

Please review!


	34. Hogsmeade, Weasley's Wheezes and Company

Hi everyone, I'm so sorry it's been so long, but I still have exams and I had like zilch time. But the chapter's here now, so no worries eh?

Gemini-Elf-2004: I could tell you how it gets worse…but maybe I won't. You'll find out soon enough anyway. I'm hopefully keeping this story at least 55 chapters, I think. I'm really not sure, maybe more, maybe less, but that's the estimate.

Thanks for all the reviews everyone, they totally rock, and I love hearing what you think about the story!

On with the chapter!

Chapter 34. Hogsmeade, Weasley's Wheezes and Company.

"You're going to have fun today. I'm going to make sure of it." Hermione had said as they had left Hogwarts, their robes wrapped tightly around them, money jingling in their pockets.

The truth was, Harry was not having a fun time at Hogsmeade. He was still suffering from the fight he had had with Draco. He had earned a week of detentions starting Monday from Snape and twenty points had been taken off. Malfoy was only charged ten points and three nights of detentions. Buffy was supposed to reason with Snape, but so far, nothing had happened. Harry did not even know if she had asked him about it yet.

Harry, Hermione and Ron turned the corner and made their way down the busy street, wizards and witches bustling past them. It was raining, and the three wanted to get out of the rain as soon as possible. So they entered a shop, not looking at the name of it, as quickly as they could.

The shop was quite busy and was full with shelves of odd objects and sweets. Students from Hogwarts bought many of the items at the counter, and one student passed Ron on the way, clapping him on the shoulder and saying,

"Your brothers are brilliant."

Ron looked back to Hermione and Harry, a confused expression on his face.

"I recognize these!" Harry exclaimed, picking up large sweets in bright colour wrapping.

"Harry!" A voice shouted over the noise and the crowd parted and the Weasley twins made their way to the trio, identical grins on their faces. "It's brilliant isn't it Ron? Our newest branch." George said, slapping a hand onto Ron's back. "Hello Hermione."

"Isn't it brilliant?" Fred said, looking around the shop with awe.

"You own this shop?" Ron asked, amazed.

"Of course! Didn't you see the sign? 'Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes', beautiful innit?" George said, smiling at the wall.

"How come you did not tell me you were moving here?" Ron asked, grinning at his brother's happiness. And their lime green robes with the letters 'WWW' on the back in red.

"Surprise mate, all a surprise." Fred explained, and moved over to Harry who was fingering the toffee sweet. "You want it? Try some." He said sneakily and Harry raised an eyebrow. He tossed the sweet back on the shelf with a laugh.

"That's the same thing you gave Dudley two years ago. I'm not falling for that." Harry said and Fred and George nodded in shame.

"Sorry, so sorry." Fred said, moving over to another shelf. "For commiseration, try some of 'Weasley's Wonderful Warble'."

Harry lifted his hand to the sweets but stopped inches before he touched them. "What does it do?" He asked suspiciously and the twins exchanged innocent looks.

"Do? It doesn't do anything Harry. Entirely innocent." Fred said, but at Harry's face, he told the truth. "It creates this warble in your head and it makes you go mad."

"Only for a while." George added.

"Of course."

"Be quiet!"

"Your elbow is digging into my stomach!"

"Shut up you two!"

"She started it!"

"Be quiet! Here they come!" Harry snapped finally, and Hermione and Ron fell silent. The three were quiet watching as Malfoy and his two goons neared their corner. 'Weasley's Hair Changing Bombs' were in their hands and grins on the boys faces.

"We could get into trouble!" Hermione hissed in Harry's ear, looking worriedly at the three Slytherins nearing them.

"We'll make a run for it after we throw them, they won't be able to catch us." Harry whispered back.

"We should have brought the cloak. We're so dead if we get caught." Hermione whispered back, her fingers clutched around two Bombs.

"You said I was going to have fun today. This is fun." Harry shot back and Hermione fell silent.

The three were hidden in a small alley, behind the main street, their bodies up against the brick wall and their faces looking around the corner to see if the Slytherin's were coming. Slowly, the three Slytherins came closer to the trio and Malfoy's annoying drawl could be heard.

"I tell you, none of them will see them coming, not even the teachers, it'll be a complete surprise…a big shock…"

"Ready?" Ron asked and Hermione nodded, almost against her will. As the three boys rounded the corner, Malfoy still talking, Ron said: "Three, two, ONE!"

With an excited yell, the three pelted the bombs at the boys and took off down the alley, laughing as the bombs exploded and Malfoy's annoyed shout was heard in the alley. The three looked behind them as they ran and laughed harder as they saw Malfoy's hair a shocking pink in bunches, Crabbe's hair a deep black and dreadlocks and Goyle's hair a wonderful blonde in ringlets.

Hermione snorted with laughter at the finger Malfoy gave her and the three took off after the Gryffindors. But they needn't have bothered to try and catch them because:

"Well, well. Look what we have here." A cold voice said and the Gryffindor trio skidded in their tracks, looking horrifying up at their sneering Potions master. "What fun you three must be having." He turned his cold glare to Hermione. "I never expected for you, Ms Granger, to do something like this." He looked to Ron and Harry as Hermione bowed her head in shame. "But you two, I should have expected this kind of childish behaviour. You two remind me of your wonderful father and his partner in crime, Black. No brains to speak of." Snape said spitefully and Harry glared hatefully at him.

"They were better men then you'll ever be." Harry spat, and Snape's lip curled.

"The brave knight, sticking up for his dead father. Noble of you, but not noble enough. I'm taking you three back to the castle; we can sort out your punishment with your wonderful godfather."

"Have you guys seen Sirius?" Buffy asked as she stepped into the living room she shared with her roommates.

"Sorry B. I haven't." Faith said, her body in Charlie's.

"Hey Charlie." Buffy said wistfully, sitting down on the sofa. "So I see you guys made up."

"Yes, last night." Charlie said, kissing Faith softly.

"Some couples have all the luck." Buffy said quietly, but Faith heard.

"You and Sirius had a fight?" Faith asked.

"No!" Willow said, walking into the room with Lupin. "You took so long getting together, now you have to break up!" She exclaimed, sitting next to Buffy, Lupin taking the other side. "What happened?"

"We had a fight."

Willow rolled her eyes. "We know that, but why? You have to make up!"

Buffy grinned at Willow's enthusiasm and questioned her about it. "Well, I just want you to have some of the salty goodness that is Sirius." She explained.

Buffy smiled gratefully and placed a hand on Willow's. "Thanks, but don't worry about me. Hopefully I'll make up with Sirius and we'll-"

Buffy was interrupted by the portrait door opening and the man of topic entering the room. He stopped as he saw everyone's eyes on him and scowled at Buffy. He made to go to his room and Willow nudged Buffy, albeit a bit forcefully, and Buffy walked over to him.

"We need to talk." She whispered, but naturally, the whole room heard.

Sirius turned his cold eyes onto her and said, "I think you've said everything I've needed to hear."

Buffy sighed and stopped him from going into his room by placing a firm hand on his arm. "I'm sorry about what I said last night, ok? Please just-"

Buffy was interrupted again by the painting swinging forward again and the rest of the Scoobies piled into the room. Buffy sighed in annoyance.

"You have company, so I'll leave you alone." Sirius said, glancing at the Scoobies who were staring at the tense position of the two.

"No Sirius, please-"Buffy started, but was cut off again by a rapping on the portrait. She sighed loudly and asked Angel to open it. Turning her attention back to Sirius, she tried to finish her sentence. "We need to talk about this." She said quietly.

"Uh, Buff…"

"What?" Buffy spat angrily, tired of being interrupted. Angel smiled secretly to himself and pointed to the portrait door. Great, Buffy thought as she saw the newcomers. This is just what I need right now.

"Hi Snape." She said and Sirius visibly tensed next to her. "What can I do for you?"

"These three." Snape said, gesturing to Harry, Hermione and Ron, who stood against the wall, Harry smiling to himself, Hermione's head bowed in shame and Ron looking uncomfortable about the fact that he was stood beside Snape.

"What about them?" Sirius asked coldly.

"They threw some absurd invention of the Weasley twins at three of my students." Snape explained, glaring at his enemy.

"What's this gotta do with us?" Buffy asked.

"Nothing to do with you, Miss Summers, it is to do with Black. No doubt he has influenced these three in the most, Miss Summers, why on earth are you staring at me?" Snape said angrily, but Buffy continued to stare at him, rather, behind him. Her lips pulled into a smile and she softly whispered:

"Giles."

I couldn't keep him away for too long…

Please review!


	35. Another Reunion

Sorry for the lateness, I really didn't realize it had been so long.  Well, it wasn't so long, it was only a week, but it was two days more than I normally update…I'll stop babbling now, shall I?

As always…thanks a great big bunch for the reviews!  It's real nice to hear what you think about this!  And I know lots of you are rooting for Sirius and Buffy to get back together…well you'll just have to wait won't you?

Anyway, on with the chapter!

Chapter 35.  Reunions.

"Giles."  Buffy whispered softly, smiling at the man she felt as a father, who stood at the portrait door, next to a tall blonde woman.  Giles smiled and a tear ran down Buffy's cheek.  "It's you."  She said, before pushing past Snape and embracing Giles tightly, her arms wrapped around him like she would never let go.  Giles said "oomph" when Buffy impacted with Giles and smiled weakly down at the small slayer. 

"Buffy…Need…Air…"  He choked weakly and Buffy let go of him abruptly, smiling in embarrassment.  Once he had enough air, he asked Buffy how she was.  And she hit him.  And then hugged him tightly again.

"Don't ever do that again, ok Giles?"  Buffy scolded in his chest, and Giles chortled.

"Missed me?"

"Duh."

"G-man!"

"Giles!"

And as soon as Buffy had let go of Giles, two more bodies impacted into him and Giles 'oomphed' again. 

"Willow."  He said, smiling down at his favourite witch, who was currently crying.  "Xander."  He said, frowning.  "Do not call me that."

"Sorry G-man."  Xander said goofily, letting Giles go.  Xander looked behind Giles and greeted the person who had entered with Giles, who had sadly been overlooked.  "Tara."

"Tara?"  Willow whispered into Giles' shirt, and she looked behind Giles to find the blonde witch, in a long purple dress, smiling softly at everyone.  Everyone but Willow.  Tara was avoiding looking at Willow, only smiling and saying hello in her shy way at everyone else.

"Hi Tara."  Buffy said, embracing the blonde witch tightly.

"How are you?"  Tara asked, looking firmly at Buffy. 

Buffy glanced at Willow, who was watching the two through sad eyes.  "Talk to her."

Tara looked down, her hand fiddling with her dress.  "I will, later."

Buffy nodded and smiled gratefully.  "In that case, I'm good.  And you?"

Tara sneaked a look at Willow, who was currently seated next to Lupin on the sofa, her hands in her lap and two silent tears making their way down her cheeks.  Tara took in her red hair, the hair she had missed so much, Willow's piercing eyes, and Lupin's hand that was on Willow's back.  Tara looked back to Buffy.

"Is he and Willow…?"

Buffy looked back at Willow and then returned her gaze to Tara, shaking her head negatively.  "She's yours, now and forever."

"When did you wake up Giles?"  Anya asked, as Giles sat down next to her, after greeting all the Scoobies, leaving the Hogwarts students, professors and convict looking on in bewilderment. 

"Five days ago."

"Five days?"  Buffy asked in disbelief, going over to sit next to her Watcher.  "Five days and no call?  No owl?  Not even a message in a bottle?"

"We wanted to surprise you."  Giles defended, smiling at his slayer.  "How was the apocalypse?"

"Ages ago."  Faith said.  "Why did you let yourself get stabbed?"

Giles bristled.  "I did not let myself.  Besides, I heard Buffy got kidnapped."

"Faith saved me."  Buffy shrugged.  "So, you have seen the castle?"

"We s-saw when w-we came in."  Tara said. 

"Uh-"Harry spoke up, "shall we go?"

"No."  Buffy said, motioning for him to come forward.  "Giles, Tara, this is my nephew, Harry.  And they are Sirius, Ron, Hermione, Snape and Lupin." She said, indicating each person as she said the name.

Tara nodded a hello. "These were friends of your sister's, Buffy?"  Giles asked, gesturing to the older.

"Lupin is my sister's husband's friend, and also a teacher here.  Snape is not a friend.  Sirius is Harry's godfather and my…"  Buffy trailed off, not quite sure what to say.  

"Boyfriend."  Sirius offered after a moment of silence.  He glared at Snape and Snape rose an eyebrow in a challenge…or satisfaction, Buffy was not sure which, but it had made Sirius look as if he was ready to kill him.

"Uh, we better tell Dumbledore that you're here."  Buffy said, changing the subject quickly.

"He brought us h-here." Tara explained.  "He already k-knows."

"He brought you here right on time then."  Lupin said, smiling.  "There's always a wonderful feast on Halloween."

Tara looked surprisingly at Lupin and pointed at him slowly.  "Is h-h-he a w-w-w-"

"Werewolf, Glinda?"  Spike finished.  "Yes."

Lupin huffed in disbelief.  "How do you all know?"

"Hellmouth breeding."  Willow offered.

"Slayer sixth sense."  Buffy explained.

"Your aura."  Tara volunteered. 

"Uh, Tara, not meaning to change the subject, but, how is the AI?"  Angel asked.

"Good.  No badness in LA, apart from Wolfram and Hart."

"Wolfram and Hart?"  Sirius asked.

"Evil law firm."  Angel explained.

"Their clients are all evil, demons, vampires, that kind of thing.  So evil, I bet they represent Voldemort."  Buffy joked.

"That's all very well, Miss Summers, but I need you to deal with these three."  Snape said irritably from the corner.  Buffy peered behind the mass of bodies at Snape.

"You're still here?"

Snape huffed in response and spoke to the three students.  "Ten points from Gryffindor.  Each.  And two detentions next week."

"That's unfair!"  Harry protested.  "I've already got a week worth of detention!"  

"I meant to talk to you about that, Snape-y."  Buffy interrupted.

Snape lifted an eyebrow.  "You were?"

"Yeah, but then…"  Buffy trailed off, looking guilty over at Sirius.

"You were distracted?"  Snape finished for her, smirking at the raging Sirius.  He loved provoking him.  It was so much fun.

"Yeah, well, can you decrease the amount of detentions you give Harry?  He already has enough on his plate, and he doesn't need to spend pointless hours with you on top of that." Buffy argued, strolling over to the students and Snape.

"Besides, Malfoy was the one who started the fight!"  Ron added angrily.  Snape glared at him.

"Fine."  Snape agreed. 

"Really?"  Ron asked, surprised.

"You can miss the Halloween feast instead."  Snape said.  "And the Quidditch match against Ravenclaw is coming up.  You can miss that too."

"Professor!"  Harry, Ron and Hermione exclaimed.

"Be reasonable, Severus."  Lupin scolded lightly.

Snape sighed angrily.  "One week of detentions for Mister Potter, two detentions each for his partners in crime."  Snape swept to the portrait, and looked back for a moment.  "Lunatics."  He muttered, before leaving the room, his black robe billowing out behind him.

The room was left in an amazed silence from Snape's departure.  Sirius gave Buffy a look, saying 'I can't believe you kissed HIM'.  Tara and Giles stared at the space Snape had just occupied, amazed by his rudeness, having never encountered him before. 

"I don't like him."  Tara said softly.

"Join the club." 

Willow sat in her room, on her forest green bedspread covers, minutes after Snape's departure from the living room.  Dumbledore had arrived immediately after and had left just as quickly to show Giles and Tara their living quarters.   The Scoobies had left, Lupin had returned to his office, Harry and his friends had gone back to the Gryffindor tower, Faith and Charlie had gone into Faith's room, and Buffy had followed Sirius into his room for a talk. 

So Willow had returned to her room, confused and worried about what had just happened.

Or rather, what had not happened.

What had not happened was Tara running into Willow's arm, telling her that she wanted to get back together.  That was what not had happened.  What had happened was Tara avoiding Willow's gaze, and there was no chance for Willow to explain.

"Things fall apart.  They fall apart so hard." 

Willow looked up from her hands and at the door.  "Tara?"  She whispered in surprise.  Tara stood at the door, her hand fingering her dress.

"You can't ever," She sighed frustrated, "put them back the way they were before." 

"Are you ok?"

"I'm sorry it's just," Tara inched away from the door, and leant against Willow's dresser.  "You know, it takes time.  You can't just see me and expect-"

"I know."  Willow said guilty.

"There's just so much to work through. Trust has to be built again, on both sides," Willow's face fell, "You have to learn if…if we can fit together, in each other's lives, because, you're happy here, and I'm happy in LA…"  Willow's heart felt like it was breaking.  "It's a long…important process, and…can we just skip it?  C-Can you just be kissing me now?"

Willow looked up at Tara, wide eyed with disbelief.  Tara smiled sweetly, and her words sunk in.  Willow smiled widely as she jumped off the bed.  Tara met halfway and entwined her hand with Willow, smiling happily.  Their lips met, and Willow's heart felt as if it would burst with joy. 

Woo hoo!  Tara and Willow back together…they are like one of my favorite couples in the buffy verse. 

Kind of a nothing chapter, so I'm gonna leave you with a sneak peek for the next chapter:

_"He's been here for the past two months…and he never spends any time with me!"  Harry shouted, angry that Buffy had taken up so much time with Sirius.  _

_"He's an ex-convict Harry!  He can't walk around Hogsmeade with you!"  Buffy reasoned, stepping away from him.  _

_"He's my family!"_

_"I am too!"  Buffy countered angrily.  _

_Harry stared at her.  "No you're not."  _

Buffy and Harry finally deal with each other…see, I told you it was gonna happen! 

Please review!


	36. Confrontations Part 2

Hey everyone!  Thank you so much for all of the reviews, you guys rock!

I'm glad people liked the last chapter, and I promise that Tara will not die.  Joss was such an evil person, and I'm not evil…right?  So yeah, I won't be killing Tara. 

Anyway, there are TWO fights here, so I hope you all like. 

Chapter 36.  Confrontations Part 2.

Buffy closed Sirius' door behind her, and stood in front of it, her hands on her hips.  She was blocking the door, so Sirius could not escape, so Sirius would have to talk to her.  Sirius ignored Buffy's presence and placed his wand on the dresser.  It was dark in here, although a tiny window above the bed spoke of day.  The room was dressed in midnight blue furniture, a black bed spread and a large fireplace.  He ran a hand through his hair, purposefully messing it up.  Finally, Sirius stood in front of her, his hands crossed across his chest.

"What are you doing here?"  He scowled, and Buffy sighed.

"I don't want to fight, Sirius."  Buffy warned.

"Not everyone gets what they want, Buffy."  He said mockingly. 

Buffy took a step closer to him, and Sirius eyed her suspiciously.  "I want things to go back the way they were."

"Too late for that."  Sirius said coldly.

"What I did was wrong…I know that.  And I regret it and I wish it had never happened.  But I can't change it.  What's done is done…and I just want to put this past us."

"You kissed Snape!" Sirius shouted angrily, his face turning red.  "How the bloody hell are we supposed to put that behind us!"

"You try, Sirius!"  Buffy retorted.  "You try…I've put it behind me, can't you do the same?"

Sirius clenched his fists and opened his mouth to say something.  He paused, and then closed his mouth.  Then, thinking better of it, he strode to Buffy and pointed in a random direction, all the while with his face in hers.  "You don't know!  You don't know what it was like…watching you…argh!"  He growled in frustration and sat on the bed, his head in his hands.  "You don't know what it was like," He said in softer tones, his gaze fixed sadly on the floor.  "Watching you…kiss him…it was so…I felt so…" He trailed off, not knowing how to put it in words.  Buffy silently watched him, pangs of guilt flooding her mind.  

"It was a mistake."  Buffy said quietly, watching as Sirius ran a hand through his hair, frustrated.  "It was wrong…I was stupid, I regret it…and I want things to go back the way they were." She said firmly.

Sirius sighed and lifted his head to look up at Buffy.  His eyes, normally sparkling with life, were depressed.  "I care about you, a lot Buffy…I just…no.  I can't."  

Buffy was silent, her body frozen in her spot, tears threatening to fall from her eyes.  "But…"

"I think I'm going to go back to my house."  Sirius said, defeated.  "Tell Harry I'm sorry."  He said, glancing up at Buffy.  "Please leave."

Buffy nodded, defrosting from her spot and she treaded out of the room, shutting the door behind her.  She closed her eyes, resting on the door, and her hands were still on the door knob.  She had made such a mess of things, she would do anything to turn back time and correct it all.  

"Buffy?"  A male voice said in front of her, and Buffy's eyes opened softly, to lay eyes on Harry, watching her from the couch.

"Hi Harry."  Buffy whispered, wiping her eyes with her sleeve.  "What's up?"  She said, pretending nothing was wrong.

"Nothing, I just came to see Sirius."  Harry said, looking behind Buffy.

"Maybe you shouldn't."  Buffy said, walking from the door frame.  "It's not a good time right now."

Harry looked curiously from Buffy to the door.  "You had a fight?"  He asked, his eyebrows furrowed.

Buffy nodded tiredly, crossing her arms across her chest.  "It's not a good time…but he says sorry." 

"Sorry?"

"He's going back home…he says sorry."  Buffy explained, walking to her door. 

"What did you do?"  Harry asked angrily, and Buffy eyed him, before opening her door and walking in.  

"It's none of you business Harry."  She said, shutting the door. 

"It is my business!"  He shouted, throwing the door open and striding in furiously.  "You did something…and now he's going!"  Harry yelled, banging the door closed.  "What did you do?"  

"It's none of you business!"  Buffy said angrily, her tired, angry state ruining her patient approach to Harry. 

"Tell me!"  Harry shouted back, his green eyes blazing with anger.

"I kissed someone ok?"  Buffy explained.  "And now he's pissed."

"And now he's going home!"  Harry exclaimed, looking back at the door.  "Because of you?!"

"Yes!"  Buffy yelled.  "Because of me.  Happy?"

Harry glared at her, his fists clenched in anger.  "No!  Why did you have to do this?" 

"I didn't mean to!"  Buffy defended angrily.  "And I don't have to explain this to you!"

Harry's glare intensified, and he strode forward, his angry face in hers.  "Yes you do!  You take him away…then you mess up…and then he goes home!  He's my godfather, and you took him away from me!"

Buffy stared at him.  "I didn't."  She said softly.  "I never did, never have, never will.  He loves you Harry.  Dating me is not going to change that." 

"He's been here for the past two months…and he never spends any time with me!"  Harry shouted, angry that Buffy had taken up so much time with Sirius. 

"He's an ex-convict Harry!  He can't walk around Hogsmeade with you!"  Buffy reasoned, stepping away from him. 

"He's my family!"

"I am too!"  Buffy countered angrily. 

Harry stared at her.  "No you're not." 

Buffy gazed at her nephew in shock.  "I'm your aunt."  She said slowly.

"Yes, but you're not family."  Harry returned. 

Buffy shook her head, a tear trailed its way down her cheek.  "I am Harry." 

"No."  Harry returned angrily.  "Family do not do this."

"Do what?"

"Turn up years after leaving and expect everything to be just the way you left it.  You can't do that Buffy!  You just can't!"

Buffy sighed.  She rubbed her forehead with her hand, suddenly acquiring a headache.  "Harry…I explained to you why I came when I did."  Buffy said, but Harry glared at her even more.

"I had no family!  My parents were dead!  Do you know what I went through?  I spent my childhood cleaning floors and keeping out of my aunt's and uncle's way!  If I did something wrong, if I stepped a toe out of line, I wouldn't get a meal for a week!"  Harry shouted, and Buffy winced.

"My sister is a bitch, I know Harry."  Buffy said sympathetically.  "And nothing I can do can take back all the things she did to you, but you can't blame me for that." 

Harry clenched his teeth, and glared at Buffy.  "It was hard!  My childhood was hard…I had to face things others didn't, and I had no one!  I had no idea you even existed!" 

Buffy's face twisted angrily, and she strode forward, towards Harry.  "That wasn't my fault Harry!  That was Petunia's!  You can't blame me for everyone Harry!"  She shouted angrily, all her pent up anger and hurt flowing out of her. 

"I'm not!!  Harry shouted.  Buffy shook her head.

"You are.  I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you Harry, I really am.  But I was busy.  I'm the slayer, Harry.  Slay-er." She said slowly, her eyes not leaving Harry's angry face.  "I was busy with troubles of my own.  I thought you were with Lily and James…I did not know about the prophecy!  I only found out when Dumbledore told me when we first met, eleven months ago.  I only found out that my sister had died eleven months ago.  I had no idea that you were living with my sister till _two _months ago.  You had a bad childhood, I understand that.  I was not there for you when you needed help and you're angry, I understand that too.  But don't blame everything on me.  Hear my side of the story first, before you start accusing."  Buffy took a breath, staring at Harry.  He stared back, a look baring anger and hatred.  "Harry!  Don't be so damn selfish!  I wanted to come back, I really did!"  Buffy shouted angrily.  "I had a tough time too, but you have to get over yourself!  You are a selfish, conceited, bad-attitude kid and you _need _to get over yourself!"  Buffy shouted, her breath coming in short rasps, she was so angry.  But her heart softened when she saw Harry's face, and she wished she had not said what she had.  "Harry…"  She started to say, meaning to apologise, but Harry cut her off, fixing his cold emerald eyes on her.

"I hate you."  He spat, before turning on his heel and striding out of the room, slamming the door behind him. 

Yeah, like Harry and Buffy would sort everything out with one fight.  They're gonna need a bit of time to cool off first. 

I'm really excited about the next chapter, because it's like my favourite chapter so far, so hopefully, I'll get it up soon. 

Shall I do a sneak preview?  I think I shall. 

_'Buffy was still running towards the Great Hall, running faster than she had ever before.  She felt an urgency to get there, urgency stronger than any she had ever felt before.  She only prayed that there were not many people in the Great Hall._

_Buffy skidded to a halt, and pushed the Great Hall doors open, running forward into the Hall.  She froze in horror, and everyone turned to look at her, the heavy wooden doors banging to a loud close behind her._

_"Miss Evans."  A voice said icily.  "How nice of you to join us."'_

Hehehe, great fun.  Anyway, till next chapter…please review, and good bye!


	37. Another Hectic Halloween

Woo hoo! Another chapter! Thanks ever so much for all of your reviews…I am forever grateful. But I'm not in any funky debt to you or something. Those always prove to be bad for the person who is in debt to the other person.

Anyway…well, I don't have anything else to say, but I just wanted to direct you away from that weird rambling thing up there.

On with the chapter!

Chapter 37. Another Hectic Halloween.

Buffy sighed and closed her eyes. She was sick of this. She was sick of messing everything up, sick of ruining everything, sick of everything. She slowly sat down on her bed, her elbows propped up on her knees, her head buried in her hands. Her palms were sore, from digging her nails into her palms so hard. Tears flowed freely from her eyes, and she idly wondered how many times she had cried since she had come to Hogwarts. It had been better at home; all this business with Voldemort was weighing on her mind, the hate that Harry carried for her, which she had undoubtedly made worse, her mistake with Snape and the consequences that followed, Willow's magic addiction and her fight to come off it, Giles' accident…all these things were weighing on her mind, creating sleepless nights, days of worrying and nails being bitten.

She lay back on her bed, pulling her knees towards her stomach, tucking her head to her chest. She was tired of this, she was tired of everything. Buffy closed her eyes and lay still, forcing her mind to become clear. The last thing she saw before she closed her eyes was the window, the sun shining brightly outside it.

Buffy did not know how long she laid there, her knees drawn up to her chest. Twice she changed sides, but she remained in a fetal position throughout. When she finally opened her eyes, the sky was dark outside, stars dotting the sky. She sat up slowly, her eyes red from crying, her legs stiff and her mind slightly cleared. She stretched her senses outwards, a habit of hers, and she froze.

Something was happening, she could feel it. She sat up fully, alert and awake. She concentrated, trying to sense what was wrong. And she found it. She gasped, and without another thought, she ran from the room, grabbing a dagger from the bed table as she went.

--------

Buffy ran as fast as she could, jumping down stairs and skidding past corners. Students stared at her as she went, and she breathed a sigh of relief when she realized that the Halloween feast had not started yet, it was too early. That meant there probably would not be a lot of people in the Great Hall.

"Buffy!" A voice shouted behind her, but she paid no heed to it, carrying on her way, leaving a confused Neville behind her.

"What's wrong?" Seamus asked Neville, as they watched the blonde slayer run off. Neville shrugged.

"I'll follow her, see you later." Neville said, setting off at a run, which was, quite slow. Neville like the blonde slayer, and she had seemed distressed. He wanted to see what was wrong. Seamus shrugged and continued on his way to the Gryffindor tower. The feast would not start for another fifteen minutes, and he needed to put away his things from the Hogsmeade trip.

Meanwhile, Buffy was still running towards the Great Hall, running faster than she had ever before. She felt an urgency to get there, urgency stronger than any she had ever felt before. She only prayed that there were not many people in the Great Hall.

Buffy skidded to a halt, and pushed the Great Hall doors open, running forward into the Hall. She froze in horror, and everyone turned to look at her, the heavy wooden doors banging to a loud close behind her.

"Miss Evans." A voice said icily. "How nice of you to join us."

Buffy felt her body go cold. Her eyes scanned the hall, and she saw, with a pang of anxiety, that Harry there. He stood, with Hermione, Ron and Ginny, their wands out. In front of them, protecting them, were Lupin, Charlie and Faith, a large black dog at Lupin's side. Dumbledore, McGonagall, Flitwick and Madam Hooch stood further away from Harry's crowd, Dumbledore's face masked with fury. Closer to Buffy, stood Angel, Spike, Willow, Giles, Tara, Xander, Anya and her children, and three Ravenclaw students. Against the right wall, stood about twenty students, ranging from all houses, looks of pure terror on their faces. Peeves floated in a corner, not quite sure what to do with himself, and Mrs Norris stood by Mr Filch in another corner, her hair standing up on end, her tail in the air. And on the left wall, stood about fifteen Death Eaters, each masked and dressed in black. Their wands were out, pointed at Harry's, Angel's and Dumbledore's groups. A Death Eater stood at the front, the man who had addressed Buffy in the first place. Buffy stared hatefully at the man, wishing she could see his face. Her hand reached slowly for her wand, which was shoved down between her skin and trouser waistband. The Death Eater saw this however, and shook his head, teasingly.

"We'll be having none of that, Miss Evans." He said, and the dagger from Buffy's hand flew another Death Eater's, who cackled loudly. Buffy's fists clenched angrily, and her hand reached for her wand again. As soon as she had grasped it, the wand left her hand immediately, only to be clutched out of the air by the same Death Eater with her dagger. "Come here, Miss Evans." The Death Eater said icily, and Buffy deepened her glare.

"I think I like my spot right here, thanks." Buffy said defiantly, casting a glance at Dumbledore. And she was shocked by what she saw. Moments before, it had been a face of fury, now it was lined with sadness. Directed at her.

A noise behind Buffy told her that the door was opening, and she prayed that it was an adult. Not a helpless student. But her prayers were not answered as a round figure came to stand beside her, his face masked in fear.

"Buffy…" Neville whispered and Buffy looked to her side, and saw that Neville was trembling. She took his clammy hand in hers and squeezed it gently.

"Stay by me Neville, ok?" Buffy said.

"Aw." A voice said mockingly, and Buffy saw that it was the Death Eater who had her wand and dagger. She could see the Death Eaters eyes through the slits…dark piercing eyes, suited to an evilly taunting face…Bellatrix. "How's mummy and daddy, Neville?" She said tauntingly and Neville let go of Buffy's hand and leapt forward. Buffy grabbed him before he got out of arms reach and the Death Eaters laughed, Bellatrix's cackle was the loudest.

Buffy glanced at Angel, and saw that he, like Spike had his demon face out. Xander was standing protectively in front of his children, and Sarah was crying. Harry was staring at Neville with pity and sympathy.

"Miss Evans, if you please." The icy voice man said, his voice commanding all the Death Eaters to be silent.

"What's up?" Buffy chirped, but inside she was shaking. She walked forward, her hand lingering on Neville's shoulder, telling him with that simple gesture to keep calm. "Where's your boss?"

There was a murmur in the crowd of Death Eaters. "The Dark Lord could not attend, but he apologizes. The Dark Lord also says that he is sorry for your loss…it is the anniversary of the Potters death tonight." A Death Eater said, and the Death Eaters chuckled cruelly. Buffy had to use every ounce of strength and willpower not to attack them at that moment. How dare they mock her sister's death?

"Well, you can tell Voldemort that I don't accept his apology." Buffy said firmly, coming to stand in front of the icy voiced Death Eater, in between her friends and the Death Eaters. The Death Eaters and the students gasped, and icy voiced man stepped towards her, furiously.

"You dare speak his name?" He asked angrily, and Buffy nodded.

"I dare." She replied defiantly, smirking at him. "I mean, he's not all that." Buffy continued. "He was destroyed by a one year old…I mean, how powerful could he be?" Buffy said, knowing she had hit a nerve when the Death Eaters muttered angrily.

"Kill her!" A Death Eater shouted.

"All in good time." The icy voice man said, and Buffy swore that under his mask, he was smirking.

"If you want to kill her, you have to get through me first." A voice said bravely, and Buffy's eyes traveled to Neville, who had walked to stand next to Spike. He had his wand out, pointing it at the Death Eaters bravely, but Buffy could see his hand was shaking.

Icy voiced Death Eater chuckled evilly. "Such courage…admirable, truly admirable." His gaze returned to Buffy sharply. "But only two shall die tonight." He said, and a Death Eater shouted: "Potter!"

Panic shot through Buffy in a blinding crash. Her stomach tightened to knots, and the panic must have been evident on her face, for the icy voiced Death Eater said:

"Yes, we shall be taking your nephew to the Dark Lord. How much He would savour the moment of killing him." He said evilly, but Buffy shook her head, her tears and panic blinding her sight.

"No." She whispered. "Take me!" She shouted angrily.

"Buffy no!" Lupin shouted behind her, but Buffy paid no attention.

"Not Harry, please not Harry!" Buffy pleaded desperately, her façade of defiance ruined. But panic and her love for her nephew overpowered her, and she felt desperate. The Death Eaters cackled in front of her.

"It is hopeless, trying to save him." Icy voiced Death Eater said spitefully.

"Not Harry, please no, take me instead!" Buffy pleaded, not releasing her words mirrored the words her sister had spoken many years ago.

"As you wish." The icy voiced man whispered, and, under his mask, a look of pure joy and satisfaction came across his face. He raised his wand, and before Buffy could react, he uttered those two deadly words, words that shattered life for everyone who comes across it. "_Avada__ Kedavra_."

A blinding green flash was omitted from his wand. Time seemed to move slowly for Buffy as the green light sped towards her. She couldn't move her body to jump out of the way, she was paralyzed with shock. Buffy knew that this was her end and her eyes traveled to Harry's. She briefly saw his look of horror, until the curse hit her body and Buffy lay crumpled on the ground, her body limp and her eyes lifeless. The slayer was dead.

O, a cliffhanger. I forgot how much you all hate those. Sam-453, you have taught me well. I am now a jedi…in fanfiction. author is thoroughly confused by her own ramblings

Right, as I un-confuse myself, you all can review! Because it seems as if Buffy is in some kind of trouble. Oops. Not my fault…it's an evil writer taking over my computer and stuff I swear!

I really need to un-confuse myself…stupid teachers at stupid school telling us about stupid IB and A-level…stupid, stupid.

Yeah…um, please review!!

Ooo, just a random note, who else is excited about the 6th book? J.K Rowling released the title today! Harry Potter and the half-blood prince. I'm really interested in who the prince will be! Of course...this is bringing up tons of new story ideas in my head...stupid bloody title.


	38. Prophecy Girl

Wow! Thank you all for the reviews! It made my day! And I know you all have questions, but hold on to them for a second, because this chapter addresses some of those questions.

On with the chapter!

Chapter 38. Prophecy girl.

_July 30th, the summer after Harry's fifth year._

Dumbledore sat at a small privately placed table, a small glass placed in front of him. The seat opposite him was empty, but a delicate cup of lemon tea was placed on the table, steam rising up into the smoky air. He nodded in greeting to other wizards and witches in the pub. It seemed that wherever he went, people always recognized him. Thankfully, now that the Daily Prophet had pronounced him sane, as opposed to their normal 'crazy lunatic', people were greeting him kindly.

The pub, the Three Broomsticks, was crowded, and every table was full. Wizards lined the bar and Rosmerta was swept off her feet with the demands of the punters. His eyes traveled to the left, under his silver bushy eyebrows, and smiled at the young couple who was sharing a drink. He looked to the right, and saw a middle aged man, dressed in black robes, clutching his drink close to him, his eyes searching the Daily Prophet on the table.

Finally, the person he had been waiting for entered the pub and her eyes immediately traveled to Dumbledore. She smiled softly and seemed to glide towards Dumbledore.

"Terribly sorry I'm late, Albus." She said, sweeping down onto the chair. "But, of course, I told you I would be two days ago." She added.

Dumbledore smiled kindly. "Yes, Sybill, I recall."

Trewalney peered down at the tea, her large glasses enlarging her eyes. "Lemon?"

"What else?" Dumbledore replied, and Trelawney smiled again. Her arm, adorned with bangles and bracelets, reached to the cup and she lifted it softly to her thin lips.

"Yes, my taste for sherry seemed to have disappeared." She muttered softly, hoisting her glittery shawl onto her shoulders. "I see Minerva fell ill." She said. "That is the reason she is not here."

Dumbledore smiled, not having the heart to tell Sybill that Minerva simply refused to accompany Dumbledore with his meeting with Sybill. "And how are you doing my dear?"

Trelawney set her cup onto the saucer, and leant back on the chair. "It's rather crowded in here." She observed, and Dumbledore agreed. "But, Hog's Head will also be rather crowded at this hour."

"Yes, we should have scheduled our meeting earlier." Dumbledore said, but Trewlawney shook her head, and gestured with her heavily ringed hand.

"It would not matter."

"And how are you doing my dear?" Dumbledore repeated.

Trelawney sighed and lifted the cup to her lips. She took a minute sip and lowered it back to the saucer. "As well as one can be, Albus. It seems that my Inner eye has been clouded as of late. I had half a mind not to come tonight, but I thought better of it. I have not had a chance to speak to you for many days."

Dumbledore raised his eyebrow. "What would you like to speak about?"

Trelawney sighed heavily. "Have you found a replacement for Umbridge? I do not want another Ministry mongrel in Hogwarts." She said, making a grotesque face as she said the name Umbridge.

"I have one in mind, is this all that bothers you?" Dumbledore asked.

Trelawney shook her head. "No, of course not Albus, I would also like to inquire about…" She trailed off, and her eyes suddenly started to roll. Dumbledore sat up in his seat. She looked as if she was to have a seizure, but then; she started to speak, not in her usual whispery voice, but in a harsh voice unlike her own.

"_Sixteen years after her sister's death…the slayer shall fall…then… the Dark Wizard can be defeated…and only then can his equal fall…until the slayer dies…neither can be vanquished…only after she falls…they can be killed." _Trelawney paused, and Dumbledore thought she had finished. After the pause, Trelawney opened her mouth and continued in that harsh voice. "_Only one spell can kill the Dark Wizard…and only one can kill his equal…only after the slayer is resurrected for the second time…can the spells be revealed…and only then can the Dark Wizard and his equal fall forever…" _

Trelawney's head fell forward. The chair on Dumbledore's right scraped across the floor, and footsteps disappeared into the din of Hogs Head. With a loud grunt, Trelawney's head jerked up and she pulled her shawl, which had fallen sometime during the prediction, onto her shoulders with her ringed hand. "I am terribly sorry Albus, I am very tired. I must apologize."

Dumbledore smiled weakly, and shook his head. "Not to worry Sybill, I know the very feeling." He said, his mind processing and committing to memory the prediction that had just befallen upon him. And that was when he looked to the right, where that man had been before, and found, dismayed that the table was empty.

_End flashback._

There was only a few seconds of silence, until all hell broke loose.

Willow was rooted to the spot as others fought around her, her eyes on the body of her best friend. A small tear slowly leaked from her eye, but she did not bother to wipe it away. Her hand found Tara's, and Tara squeezed Willow's hand comfortingly. Tara other hand was held out in front of her, erecting a barrier around the pair. Once the barrier was formed, Tara pulled Willow along with her and hurried to Harry, whose hand was wrapped in Hermione's.

Meanwhile, Spike, Angel and Xander had launched themselves at the Death Eaters, the trio blinded by grief. All of the past disagreements were forgotten, their slight dislike for each other was forgotten as the three worked as a team, fighting Death Eaters simultaneously. Angel broke a Death Eater's leg, than moved onto another one, knocking the Death Eater unconscious. Xander dodged curses and flung himself on a Death Eater, pummeling the man until the Death Eater was unconscious. Spike dodged curses and flung punches right, left and centre, his wild fighting style emerging from his grief.

Like Willow, Sirius had remained stationary, his doggy eyes fixed on the limp body of Buffy. The fight surrounded the body, but no one had yet touched it. No one had made sure she was actually dead. Sirius tried to leap forward, but Charlie and Lupin hung onto the dog.

"Sirius, don't. Don't forget who you are." Lupin reminded Sirius. Sirius lifted his doggy head and stared at Lupin. "She's gone Sirius. She's gone."

She's gone. She's gone. The words whispered in Sirius' head like a mantra and he leapt and attacked the man who had killed Buffy. His sharp canine teeth sank deep into the Death Eater's leg, and he screamed in pain. The Death Eater shook Sirius off him, and Sirius turned and faced the man, his fangs bared. Sirius growled, and leapt again at the Death Eater. The Death Eater was ready, and shouted 'Stupefy'. Sirius dodged the spell, but landed far away from the Death Eater. Next to Buffy.

Her green eyes stared lifelessly up at Sirius; her mouth was slightly parted as she took in one last breath. Tears had dried on her cheeks and her expression was blank. With a furious howl, Sirius turned from her and leapt back into the fight, barely registering Harry was to his left.

Faith stared at Buffy's body with disbelief. A lump formed in her throat and she screamed with rage and grief as she leapt into the growing fray. She dodged curses right and left, and used her full strength against the people who had killed her sister slayer. She barely registered the thuds of bodies impacting with the wall as she threw them aside, not dead, but unconscious. She barely registered a large cut forming at her stomach as a Death Eater threw a curse at her. She lost count of all the wands she snapped in half, of all the bones she broke and the fractures she caused. Her mind was filled with a blind rage and she did not care who she hurt until she reached her goal. She fought her way across the room until she reached it. Sirius, in his dog form ignored her as he stared at the body, and then jumped back into the fight. They all ignored her as Faith picked up the limp body of Buffy Summers and carried her away from the fight, laying her on the table in front of several students. They gasped in fright as they saw the dead body, but she ignored them. Faith lifted two fingers to Buffy's neck, feeling for a pulse, but her face fell as she found none.

"Faith…" Hermione whispered softly, placing a hand on Faith's arm. Her eyes darted from the fight to Buffy's body, then back to the fight. "Help them…" Hermione pleaded. Faith looked up at the students, looks of terror on their faces. They were crouched against the wall, there wands out in a feeble attempt to defend themselves.

"Faith." Tara said breathlessly, as she made her way towards the slayer, her hand in Willow's. Curses were shot at the pair, but it bounced off an invisible shield, making the shield shimmer in a purple light.

"Get them out of here." Faith instructed, looking blankly at Willow, who looked lost. Tara nodded, and quickly started to usher the students out of the room. "Willow?" Faith said, facing the red head witch. Willow looked up at Faith with sad, tired eyes. She lifted up her hands and magic crackled through her fingers. Sparks shot out from the tips of her fingers, and slowly, her hair was turning black.

"Get me out of here." Willow whispered. Faith nodded, and Tara took away the shield, then returned to protecting the students as she ushered them out. Lupin and Professor Flitwick joined Tara and helped her. Lupin glanced at the body of Buffy, who lay peacefully on the table, then turned and ushered the students out of the hall. Faith took Willow's hand and ran. She pushed Death Eater's out of the way, dodged curses, but did not let go of Willow hand as they ran. And soon, they were out of the Great Hall, and Willow rested against the door. Students crowded around the doors, wondering what was going on, gasping as the doors opened and Death Eater's were sighted.

"Stay calm Willow." Faith said desperately. "Someone take her up to the hospital wing!" Faith shouted at the crowd. "Stay calm." Faith repeated, and without a backward glance at the witch, she pushed the doors opened and leapt back into the fight.

Meanwhile, Harry's wand was out and he shouted and dodged curses right and left in a blind rage of fury. He had lost Hermione, Ron and Ginny some time ago, but he spared no thought to it. He passed Dumbledore, who was dueling with five Death Eaters and seemed to be winning. He passed Charlie, who dueled with another Death Eater. He passed Spike, Angel and Xander, who punched and kicked Death Eater's right and left. He passed Faith, who was shoving people against the wall and seemed to be making her way to Buffy's body. He passed Neville, who was dueling a Death Eater with Ron and Ginny's help.

And he suddenly found who he was looking for. The Death Eater seemed to have been waiting for him all this time. His cloak was torn, and it looked like Sirius had bitten him. Good, Harry thought. Cold, grey eyes glinted maliciously from slits in the mask. Harry had seen those eyes many times before, in the Department of Mysteries, in Flourish and Blotts, and almost everyday, whenever he saw Draco Malfoy. The person who had killed Buffy was Lucius Malfoy, and Harry was ready to kill him.

"Come to kill me Potter?" Malfoy laughed. "I never knew you two were so close." He said, referring Buffy. It was true, Buffy and Harry had never been close, and they had been in a fight hours ago. But despite all that, Buffy had died for Harry, like his mum had died for him. All the hate that Harry had held for Buffy had disappeared, and he was now ready to kill Malfoy, to avenge Buffy's death.

"Stupefy!" Harry shouted, pointing his wand at Malfoy.

"Protego!" Malfoy said, deflecting the spell. Harry was sure Malfoy was grinning under the mask. "You cannot fight me, Potter. The Dark Lord protects me!" He shouted.

"Well, let's see if he's a good protector. Petrificus Totalus!" Harry shouted. Again, Malfoy deflected the spell.

"You're going to have to try harder than that Potter!"

Harry raised his wand again, his mind cast back to Buffy's dead body and the fact he had just lost another family member.

"Crucio!" His wand was pointed at Malfoy as he uttered the Unforgivable, and at first he thought it did not work. But then Malfoy's screams sounded in the room, and Harry felt pressure from his wand. It was hard maintaining the curse, but Harry held it on, wincing from the screams that were issued from Malfoy. The curse was powerful, and it was taking a lot of energy from Harry to maintain it. After ten seconds though, he felt the curse weaken as he lost too much energy. He did not have the strength to maintain it anymore, and he let his wand hand drop to his sides, panting from exhaustion. He looked up at Malfoy with cold eyes. Malfoy was crouching on the floor, panting also. He looked up and met Harry's gaze.

"That's quite a lot of hate in you boy." He stood up. "But not enough." He smiled under the mask, and Harry winced. He knew what was coming next. "Crucio."

Harry crumpled to the floor, his body wracked with pains. His body was exploding with pain; every each of him was in pain. It was like being stabbed with knives all over your body, every millisecond. His mind was exploding with the pain; his thoughts were completely revolved around his suffering. He registered nothing around him, not the cruel cackle that was issued from Malfoy's lips, not the screams of pain from other Death Eaters. He didn't register the soft 'pop's and Death Eaters left Hogwarts by portkey as they realized they could not win, he didn't hear the crying from Ginny, he did not see the swash of robes in front of him as Dumbledore angrily strode to Malfoy, in a rage of fury. He registered nothing, until the curse was abruptly lifted and he was left shivering in pain.

"How dare you." Dumbledore hissed, his eyes glinting furiously that chilled Malfoy down to the bone. "How dare you use an Unforgivable on my student?" Malfoy timidly raised his wand, but Dumbledore raised his wand first. "Stupefy."

"Protego." Malfoy said, but Dumbledore was powerful and Malfoy was thrown backwards onto the ground. Malfoy glanced at the crowd of adults surrounding Dumbledore, glanced at Harry who was crouched on the floor with a large black dog and Hermione, and then looked back at Dumbledore. Dumbledore glared at Malfoy, and Malfoy could feel the air around Dumbledore vibrate with power. Before Dumbledore could stop Malfoy, he delved into his robes and touched a small pendant with the Dark Mark on it. He instantly disappeared from Hogwarts, leaving Dumbledore and the rest behind.

Okay, do you remember that prophecy that was mentioned many chapters ago? This is the prophecy. And now for those questions:

Will Buffy stay dead? Obviously not, because if you look at the prophecy, you will she has to be resurrected for Voldemort or Harry to die.

The characters were OOC: Dumbledore makes choices, and this was another of those choices. He had to make a sacrifice so that the world would be rid of Voldemort. So he had to stand by and watch Buffy die.

Also, I read on the J.K Rowling site that the half blood prince was NOT Harry or Voldemort, so who you think it is (JoeHundredaire)? I reckon its: Dean Thomas or Mark Evans. Or it could just be a whole new character.

Anyway, please review!!


	39. Consquences

Hey everyone, sorry for the long wait, but I had coursework (which is in for tomorrow and I still haven't finished) and I had to do it.  Unfortunately, school is priority.  Argh. 

Great news is that summer holidays start in six days!  And then, I'll be free to write lots of chapters and update loads (except when I'm going away) which is definitely of the good! 

Anyway, thanks go out to everyone who reviewed!  I really appreciate it!

This chapter was incredibly hard to write, but in the end I did it, so I hope you all like it.

Chapter 39.  Consequences.

Buffy's death affected everyone in the castle, even those who did not know the causes of her death.  An unspoken agreement was issued on Halloween, and those who had witnessed Buffy's death chose not to talk about it.  Most students had never seen someone die before, and it would leave an imprint on their minds forever. 

Those who did not witness Buffy's death talked only of the event of Halloween in secret.  Most students were upset by her death, as they had all been taught by her at least once, and she had been a friendly and nice person. 

Two others had died that night, a second year Hufflepuff and a fifth year Ravenclaw.  Most students had been directed away from the Great Hall, and those inside had been protected by the teachers.  However, a week later, and there were still five beds occupied in the hospital wing, and two mediwitches from St. Mungo's were called to Hogwarts, and remained till two weeks after Halloween.

Four Aurors took up residence at Hogwarts after the attack, on Fudge's orders.  He felt Hogwarts needed defense, and Aurors were the best way to go about it.  He failed to recognize Dumbledore's point against the Aurors, that four Aurors could never hold their own against thirty Death Eaters. 

Twelve students were taken out of Hogwarts, against their will and against Dumbledore's, but many parents felt that Hogwarts was not as safe as it used to be. 

It was two weeks after Buffy's death, and the funeral was to be held that evening, so Spike and Angel could attend.  The will had been read two days before, and Buffy had stated that she wanted to be buried next to her real parents, and the headstones of Lily and James.  It was a small Muggle graveyard, but it was what Buffy wanted. 

"I like the blue one." 

Willow frowned.  "Really?"  She turned around, admiring herself in the mirror.  "No, I think I'm gonna go with the dark purple." 

She lifted searched through the small wardrobe in her room, and took out a dark purple jacket.  She held it against her body and looked in the mirror again.  "Does it go?"

Tara nodded.  "It looks fine Will."  Willow took off the blue jacket she was wearing and shrugged on her purple jacket. 

"Better?" 

"I still like the blue one."  Tara said.  Willow smiled halfheartedly. 

"That doesn't help me, baby." 

Tara smiled, and stood up.  She walked over to the wardrobe and rifled through the clothes.  "Maybe if we find something we both like, then you can wear it." 

Willow smiled.  "Sure.  If you can find anything." 

Tara stopped rifling through the clothes and admired a black jacket, with a black rose embroidered on the front.  "I like this."  She said, taking it out of the wardrobe.

"That's Buffy's."  Willow said, furrowing her brow.  "I should give it to her…"  Willow trailed off, realizing what she had just said.  "I mean, it was Buffy's.  It's not her anymore, 'cos she's…"  Willow trailed off again, and felt harsh tears running down her cheeks.  "She's gone."  Willow whispered.  "She's really gone." 

Tara dropped the jacket on the chair and ran to Willow.  She hugged Willow tightly, stroking her red hair and drawing small comforting circles on her back.  "Ssh, it's ok, it'll be ok."  Tara whispered into her ear. 

"It's not ok, it'll never be ok."  Willow said, parting from Tara and sitting on the bed.  "She's gone, and nothing anyone can do will bring her back."  Tara handed Willow a tissue, not quite sure what to do with herself as she stood watching Willow cry. 

The door opened, and Xander and Anya tiptoed in, both dressed in black.  Following them were Giles, Faith, Angel, Spike and Cordelia, all of them dressed in black or dark colours.  The room was quite small, but they all could fit in.  The door closed, and they were all silent. 

"When are we leaving?"  Faith asked, her dark hair pulled back into a ponytail.  Her hands were shoved in her black trouser pocket, and there was a frown line on her forehead that had been permanent ever since Halloween.

"As soon as the carriages are ready."  Giles informed.  "They'll take us to Hogsmeade station, and then a train will take us to London.  From their, we'll hail taxis to the graveyard."

"Oh."  Faith said quietly.  They were silent again. 

"Who's telling us that the carriages are ready?"  Xander asked after several moments. 

"Lupin."   Giles answered.  "I told him to meet us in the Entrance Hall.  We should go down there soon." 

The group nodded, but no one made a move to go.  All of them of them different, but linked to each other by one person.  They had all been Scoobies at one point, but now, without Buffy, it seemed pointless.

"I'd never thought I'd had to go through this again, not so soon anyway."  Xander said softly.  "First Doyle, then Joyce, now Buffy.  Who's next?"  He added bitterly.

"Xander, don't."  Cordelia said softly. 

"I knew it was coming, in the back of my mind."  Giles said, staring blankly at the wall.  "No slayer can live forever.  She lived an exceptionally long time, but I knew it had to end.  One day." 

"It still would have been a shock though."  Angel said quietly.  "She's strong, but we could never have been prepared for something like this." 

"It's always hard when a friend dies."  Cordelia added.  "She was just, something special, y'know?  I never thought she would die so soon."  Cordelia sighed sadly. 

"She had a good life though."  Willow said quietly, her hands folded in her lap.  "Despite everything that happened, all the rough times we went through, she was always happy." 

Giles chuckled, and glanced at Willow.  "I remember the first time I ever saw her.  Walking into the library, carefree and so young.  She had such an attitude though, and I could barely understand a word she said."

"That was you, Giles.  You're just too English."  Xander joked.

"She was so strong, even then."  Willow reminisced.  "She was sixteen years old, but she had a calling, a destiny."

"She didn't want it at first."  Giles added.  "But she came around."

"She knew it was right."  Angel said quietly. 

"She loved it, didn't she?"  Willow said, smiling.  "Every minute of it.  She saved lives, saved the world.  Yet no one knew what she did." 

Giles shook his head.  "That's not true.  At your prom, she got recognition for what she did.  The students knew that she was something special, they knew she saved them from countless horrors, and they awarded her for that."

Xander smiled.  "I'll never forget the smile on her face when she accepted the award."

"She was so proud of it."  Willow remembered.   "She used to just stare at it, with a small smile on her face."

"She was glad that people knew of her work, and thanked her for it."  Angel said quietly. 

"She did so much good."  Cordelia said.  "Helping everyone, hardly ever wanting anything in return." 

"Buffy was just like that.  A giving person, one of the best people I've ever known."  Willow said quietly.  The group smiled at each other. 

"We should go."  Giles said, and one by one they left the room, in silence.  The door closed quietly, and the room was left silent.  A couple of seconds later, the door opened and Willow rushed in and removed her jacket.  She put it on the bed and picked up the jacket on the chair, Buffy's jacket.  Willow smiled to herself, shrugged it on and left the room.

The funeral had been small, intimate.  The Scoobies, the AI and some of the Order had been present, including Petunia Dursley who had been informed of Buffy's death by Dumbledore, shortly after Halloween.  No one thought she would come to the funeral, but she did, and she wept along with everyone else.

The students who attended to funeral (Harry, Hermione and the Weasley's) were allowed two days off school, where they spent the night at the Order headquarters, where some of Buffy's friends were staying.  They all sat in a subdued silence around the kitchen table, adults among children, ex convicts among vampires.

Willow was probably taking it the hardest; she had cried constantly through the funeral.  She sat at the head of the table, Xander and Tara close by her.  She was tired of crying, the funeral had been that day and she was exhausted.  But she couldn't bring herself to go to bed.

"I can't believe she's dead."  Fred whispered, interrupting the quiet.  Cordelia squeezed the young Texan's hand, and nodded.

"It's like a dream."  Xander said.  "A very bad dream and I wish to wake up immediately."  He added.

"I was surprised to see Petunia at the funeral."  Lupin said quietly.

Harry nodded.  "Yeah, she hates all things magical, but she came anyway."  He fingered the small pendant on a chain around his neck.  The pendant was the letter 'H', and it was what Buffy had given him for his first Christmas.

"Sometimes people can surprise you."  Hermione said. 

"Petunia was family, Harry.  Sometimes people just can't turn their back on that."  Giles said.  "Having Buffy back was probably a big shock for Petunia, but having her taken away again was probably even a bigger shock.  No matter how much your aunt hated magic, Buffy was still her sister, and I doubt Petunia ever stopped caring for her, as she never stopped caring for Lily."  He took a breath and continued softly.  "Even if she never showed it, judging from the amount of tears that Petunia shed, she never stopped caring for her sisters."

They were silent again, as everyone remembered the two Evans sisters who had died on the same day, yet years apart.  After several minutes, the Scoobies and AI exchanged glances, knowing which question came next.

"What now?"  Xander asked to no one in particular. 

"You're welcome to stay here."  Sirius said softly, he looked particularly upset and had not said much since Buffy had died. 

"I'm sure Dumbledore will let you stay at Hogwarts."  Lupin added.

Spike shrugged.  "Maybe we should go back, I mean, we all came here because of Buffy, we don't really have a reason to stay.  No offense."  He added those who lived in England.

"Yes, we could just go back home."  Giles agreed.

"We'll miss you, but at home is where you belong."  Charlie said, squeezing Faith's hand. 

"So we go home?"  Anya said, asking the group, waiting for people to reject or agree.  No one did anything, most people wanted to go home, but they liked it in England. 

"There's a war going on."  Willow whispered, but her voice commanded the attention of the room.  "We could help."  Willow volunteered weakly, looking at the faces of her friends.  "It's what Buffy would have done."  She added, a sad look on her face as she mentioned her best friend.

"I'll stay."  Faith said.  "Even if it's only for a while."

"I'll stay."  Spike volunteered.

"We'll stay too."  Giles said, glancing at Tara and Wesley.  They nodded in agreement. 

"Fight the good fight; it's what we do best."  Cordelia said dully.  "I'm in."

"Us too."  Fred and Gunn said. 

"Me too."  Lorne said quietly.

"I'm in."  Angel said quietly.

Anya glanced around the group.  "I'm pregnant."  She said bluntly.

"You don't have to stay, Anya."  Tara said.

Xander sighed, and locked gazes with Willow.  "We'll have the baby, and then we'll come back, ok?"

"Some of you can stay here, others can stay at Hogwarts." 

"You can help the Order."  Bill said.  "We'll be glad to have people like you."

Cordelia sighed.  "Fight the good fight; it's what we do best."  She repeated.

Woo hoo, so the Scoobies are staying in England!  Now, question and answer time!

Lightdemondarkangel:  I don't hate Harry, he just bugged the hell out of me in book five and he turned into a really moody teenager, and I'm trying to continue what Rowling wrote, but he will be less moody in the future. 

WiccanOne48:  Aw, thank you!  Is this soon enough for ya?

Hinomi, CharmedChick:  Could be Malfoy, but is he a half blood?  Because he sure looks like Lucius and Narcissa to me. 

Chrios:  Of course Harry won't be mean!  Buffy saved his life for crying out loud!  That is something you just cannot forget.  Mark Evans was the dude in the fifth book, who Dudley beat up.  A fairly small mention, but in the first book, Sirius Black was mentioned and look how important he was.  But, apparently J.K Rowling said it was not Mark Evans, so there goes that theory down the drain. 

witchlight:  The guy was a Death Eater.  If he hadn't told Voldemort about the prophecy, then Harry could never be killed, and Harry is first on Voldemort's 'to kill' list. 

elsawriter:  Aww, your so sweet!  Buffy did not know about the prophecy, only Dumbledore did.  I've updated, how about you!  Come on, I need an update here!  AS' have finished, so you can update, right? 

Anyway, please review!  And bug Sam-453 to update her story! 


	40. Naughty Thoughts

Do you know how much you rock? I don't think I tell you guys enough, but let me get this clear, my reviewers rock! Woo hoo!

Ok, slightly hyper, but really its not that abnormal (for me) 'cos, I'm usually very hyper, but you just can't tell 'cos it's a computer and I can't get my hyperness written down, because to get the full force of the hyperness you need to see it.

Anyway…on to things that are a bit more interesting and less weird…many people said that there wasn't enough Harry and Sirius POVs, and I know, and I have fixed it and have put in some POV ness in like two chapters from now. But until then, you won't hear from either those two.

Nikita-hime: Omg, you are so cute! Hehe, I'm all a grinning! Yeah, I hope I won't take too long to finish this, I think it'll be done in about 15 more chapters? Or maybe less. Or maybe more. Who knows, 'cos I sure don't!

SnapeLuver666: Aw, and again, you are so cute and you so rock! Woo hoo!

RedsLover03: Hehe, cool idea. She should get resurrected soon, at around Christmas time, but there are a few things I want to get through before she does get resurrected.

Lightdemondarkangel: Yeah, the other prophecy. That won't come into play for a little while, but Buffy is not the third. The third is Peter, so when Peter dies, Lily and James will come back.

elsawriter: Yeah, I hate depressed Buffy! So the Buffy that comes back will not be all 'oh, I went to heaven, watch me as I mope'. So I hope that gives you a clue as to where Buffy is right at this moment. 'Cos she sure ain't in heaven. Oh, and I also read your update! But for the first couple of days it wouldn't let me read it! And I was like…noooooooooooo! And I was very upset. So I checked back like a million times and then finally it let me read it! Woo hoo! And it was a tres brilliant chapter. Woo hoo!

Ok, anyway, on with the chapter! Onwards! Charge men go! Attack!

Chapter 40.

'Dear Willow, Tara, Giles, Cordelia, Gunn, Fred, Faith, Lorne, Angel, Spike and Wesley.

Whew. That's a lot of people to write down. Anyway, I hope you are all well. How did that mission go? With the big bad evil vampires and that mass killing spree in Leeds? I hope you're alright, if not, then I guess we would have heard from you by now. It's good to know that everything went well.

How is Hogwarts? And London? I guess you guys are busy, I heard about a Ministry of Magic office in Glasgow being attacked. They put it in the newspapers here. Ten people dead, killed by gang members. On PCP. Same all over the world, huh?

We still haven't had the baby yet. Three days and not a word. Anya's getting annoyed, I think she's really uncomfortable.

_I AM_

She is.

_I want this baby to get out! OUT OUT OUT! It's frickin' uncomfortable! And my children know it too, and they're annoyed…and damn, Sarah's eaten a crayon again. _

Anya's gone to deal with Sarah. That kid eats too many crayons. Anyway, Anya is a little bit pissed off. And she's really uncomfortable, like I said, and she keeps blaming me! Can I come to England? It seems much nicer over there, than it is here.

We hope to hear from you soon.

Xander, Anya and all the children (born and unborn)'

Willow smiled and folded the letter in half. "Xander sounds…happy."

"Baby not born yet?" Fred asked, looking up from her plate.

"Nope."

"Ouch." Cordelia said.

"Ouch?" Gunn asked.

"Ouch." Tara repeated. "It must be really uncomfortable for her. Having the baby in her for so long, she must want it out badly."

Willow smirked. "From the sounds of it, she does."

"She's complaining?" Wesley asked from his spot across Willow.

"Oh yeah. Xander wants to come here." Willow said, reaching for her pumpkin juice.

They were seated in the Great Hall, having breakfast. There was a small area of the Gryffindor table nearest the table set aside for the large group. Even though the ceiling. Because the group was too large to fit on the teachers table, and because Dumbledore could not place another table in the Great Hall, because it wouldn't fit, eleven spaces had been cleared for the group to sit and eat at mealtimes.

"So, what are we doing today?" Fred asked chirpily.

"Dumbledore did not say." Wesley said.

"I think I want to have another day in the library." Giles said, with a distant look on his face.

Spike snorted. "You'll spend the rest of your life in there if you could."

Giles glared at him, and opened his mouth to retort. He paused, rolled his eyes and closed his mouth, not bothering to.

"I want to sit in on that Arithmancy class again." Willow said, talking to Fred and Tara. "It was really interesting."

"I prefer Potions. Even though Professor Snape creeps me out." Fred said, shuddering.

"Just picture him in his underwear." Spike said.

"How will that help?" Tara asked, smiling.

Spike shrugged. "Dunno, I think it'll make him less scary."

Fred nodded, and imagined Snape in his underwear. She shuddered as the image came into her mind, Snape with boxers with, strangely, racing cars on them. "That makes Snape even scarier." She shut her eyes, thinking the image would go away. "That doesn't help!" She said, with an exasperated sigh. She opened her eyes.

Tara giggled. "Breathe Fred, just breathe. And think of something else. Gunn in his underwear." She supplied.

Fred nodded and screwed her eyes closed. She smiled. "Mm, Charles in underwear. Charles in underwear. Charles without underwear." She blushed, turning a deep red that reached up to the tips of her ears. "Naughty thoughts, naughty thoughts." She whispered under her breath, like a mantra.

"What's this about me in my underwear?" Gunn asked slyly, grinning at Fred.

"Lack of underwear, apparently." Willow said, grinning.

"Naughty thoughts, naughty thoughts." Fred whispered, her blush deepening.

Gunn grinned, looking very pleased with himself. "I give Fred naughty thoughts. Can you give me details?" He asked, mischievously.

Fred glared at him, closed her eyes and stuck her fingers in her ear. "Naughty thoughts, naughty thoughts."

Gunn leant closer to her on the bench. "Does it have anything do with last night?"

Fred's eyes flew open and she let out a high pitched squeal. She stood up and hopped over the bench, and almost ran out of the Great Hall, whispering 'naughty thoughts, naughty thoughts' to herself and she strode.

"I'll go after her." Gunn said, grinning. "See you later?"

The others nodded, smiles on their faces. "Oh, and Gunn? Don't tease her too much." Willow advised, and Gunn smirked and followed Fred out.

"So, what are we doing today?" Cordelia repeated.

------------------------

Hidden in hills of the countryside, lay a small, old castle. The castle was surrounded by a small number of houses and a river flowed through the hamlet. Many decades ago, this hamlet had been thriving with human life, however, now only a few families remained, and the hamlet seemed dead.

It was this place that Voldemort chose to rest for a week. The remaining Muggle families were easily killed or placed in the Imperius curse at Voldemort's wishes, and within minutes, the small village was under the Dark Lord's control. Currently, Voldemort sat on a stone chair, embedded with fine jewels in a large dining room in the castle. The room had been cleaned for Voldemort's use, and the floor now shined and the chandeliers sparkled. In a semi circle around Voldemort stood fourteen Death Eaters in a dark robes, with masks covering their faces. Surrounding those fourteen Death Eaters, were about twenty five more in a larger semi circle outside the inner. Surrounding these twenty five, were six vampires, two werewolves and three demons of different races, who leant against the walls.

Voldemort eyed his closest followers carefully, red eyes gleaming from a snake-like, gaunt face. His hood to his cloak fell about his shoulders, revealing white skin on his bald thin head. His hands rested on the arms of the chair, his unnaturally long skeletal fingers clutched a dark coloured piece of wood-his wand. It was pointed lazily at a small heap on the floor in front of him.

"Take him away." Voldemort hissed, and a Death Eater leapt forward and whispered something under his breath. He pointed his wand at the black heap, and it rose off the ground. The heap was actually a body of a tall, middle aged man. The Death Eater turned the body so the face was facing the ceiling. Voldemort smiled cruelly at Severus Snape, who was unconscious. The two semi circles parted to make way for the Death Eater and Snape as they left the room, Snape's robes trailing on the floor.

"Might I m-make a suggestion about him, master?" A squeaky voice said nearest to Voldemort. Voldemort regarded him coldly.

"You wish to give me orders, Wormtail?"

Wormtail shook his head vigorously. "No master, never master, I would not dream of it master."

Voldemort's thin lips pulled into a smile full of malice. "Good. You have disappointed me. You have all disappointed me." He said, addressing the rest of the Death Eaters. "I wanted the boy, and you did not deliver him." There was a faint murmur in the crowd as the Death Eaters apologized. Voldemort held up his hand, his palm facing the crowd. "I do not want apologies. I do not accept apologies. You will repay me in due time."

"Yes master." The crowd said, their heads bowed.

Voldemort sighed and lowered his hand. "I am tired of this. You killed the girl, Malfoy, but I have not killed the boy. The boy is the greatest asset to Dumbledore, with the Potter boy dead, there will be no one standing in my way. He has been a pain to me for far too long. We must kill him."

"Yes master." The crowd murmured.

"However, those friends of the Evans girl protect the boy. They fight for him, fight with Dumbledore against us. Two vampires, two of the most dangerous vampires attack us. Two of the most dangerous vampires protect Potter. A powerful witch protects him also, who is on the edge of corruption. And a slayer." Voldemort took a Muggle photograph from the small table next to his chair and surveyed it closely. "A dangerous fighter, a great asset for Dumbledore. We must crush them all if we are to kill Potter. We first deal with the slayer, then the vampires and then the witch. And then nothing will stand in our way to kill Harry Potter." Voldemort finished with a cruel smile on his face, his red eyes glinting in the light.

"Master, if I may." A Death Eater bowed low in front of Voldemort.

"Malfoy, what do you have to tell me." Voldemort said, regarding him with cold curiosity.

"Potter's friends are in the way also."

Voldemort smiled. "But you have the answer to that problem, do you not Lucius? The first part of the plan is in order."

"I know my master, yet, I do not feel he is ready."

"Tell him the Dark Lord instructs him to do as he is told, Malfoy. Then we shall see if he is ready."

"Yes my Lord." Malfoy said, bowing and returning the semi circle. The subject was dropped.

Voldemort glanced coolly at two vampires who stood at either side of a door leading out of the room. "Is he ready?" The two vampires opened the door and hurried out of the room, snarling. "My devoted followers. I have come up with a plan, which is sure to work. It will get rid of one of those who protect Potter."

At that moment, the door opened again and two men walked in. Two of them were vampires, one black skinned with a cruel smile on his face and the other was white skinned with an unsure look on his face. In the middle was a middle aged man, dressed in a Muggle suit. He was neither wizard nor vampire, but he was more dangerous than either of the two races. He smiled, not a vicious, cruel smile like Voldemort, but an amused, relaxed smile.

"Well would you look at this?" He said brightly. "Quite a gathering you got here, big feller."

Voldemort's lips twisted up into a cruel smile. "You are impressed?"

"Of course." The man replied, walking through the crowd of Death Eaters. They regarded him curiously, and some regarded him with annoyance. The man was talking to Voldemort as if he was nothing but a mere Muggle.

"I have summoned you for a purpose." Voldemort said coldly.

"I guessed. Being blown up wasn't on the list of things to do, but I'm sure glad I'm back." The man said cheerfully. Voldemort stood from his chair and walked to the man, his wand in one hand and the photograph in the other.

"Here." He gave the photograph to the man, and the man took it curiously. His eyes lit up as he gazed at the picture of the woman with fondness.

"My little firecracker." He said softly.

"You recognize her."

"Of course. Quite the feisty girl, always ready to kill something…someone."

"She fought against me; she is allied with the blond girl-"

"Buffy." The man replied, gripping the picture tightly.

"Yes."

"She's turned against me." He said softly.

Voldemort regarded the man with cold eyes. "What are you going to do about it?"

Mayor Wilkins looked up from the picture and stared straight into Voldemort's eyes, without flinching. "I'm going to kill her." He ripped the picture of Faith into two, then again into quarters. He flung the pieces to the floor, and smiled evilly. "And then I'm going to eat her."

I loved Mayor Wilkins. He was great oodles of fun. No, he more like a great noodle of fun. Or a poodle of fun…he was just fun ok? Anyway, he's back and he's gonna mess with Faith, and it's gonna be fun. For me anyway.

Please review!


	41. In the Library

Chapter 41. 

"You shouldn't be here." 

Malfoy grinned and sat down next to Hermione.  "Last time I checked, this was still a free country." 

Hermione glared at him, her brown eyes full of contempt.  Malfoy's smile faltered and he asked what was wrong.  Hermione sighed, and turned back to her Arithmancy homework.  "Your father killed Buffy." 

Malfoy exhaled.  "I know."  He said, patting his hair awkwardly.  "And…and I'm sorry about it." 

Hermione looked up from the parchment to glare once again at Draco.  "No you aren't.  You aren't sorry that your father killed Buffy, and you aren't sorry that he tortured Harry too!"  She said loudly.  Madam Pince glared at them from around a bookshelf, and Hermione fell silent.  Madam Pince disappeared from view. 

"I am, ok?  I'm sorry for what my father did."  Malfoy said.  "He was a bastard…is a bastard, and I'm truly sorry." 

Hermione regarded him suspiciously.  "What brought on this change of heart?"

Malfoy smiled softly.  "I can't be nice?"

"No, you can't." 

Malfoy smirked.  "Well, I just haven't seen you for a long time, that's all."

Hermione narrowed her eyes.  "We have Arithmancy together.  We had Arithmancy yesterday.  You saw me yesterday."

Malfoy rolled his eyes.  "Ok, ok, I saw you yesterday.  I just…missed you."  He added quietly, and Hermione had to strain herself to hear him.  She raised an eyebrow. 

"You…missed…me?"  She repeated disbelievingly. 

"Missed in the sense of noticed that you weren't around and cared."  Malfoy said idly.  Hermione giggled and returned to her parchment and quill.

"Sure Malfoy, like I would believe that." 

Malfoy sighed exasperatedly and leant closer to Hermione.  "We just haven't talked properly since October…and I just wanted to talk again."

"Talk in the sense of insulting each other?"  Hermione said, glancing at him from the corner of her eye.

"Insulting each other?  No, we don't insult each other."  Malfoy said seriously.  "Playful banter perhaps, but never insults."  He joked, smiling.

Hermione regarded him curiously.  Malfoy shot her a quizzical look.  "You look nice when you smile."

Malfoy smirked.  "In that case, I will never smile again."  Hermione rolled her eyes and returned to homework.  "Are you doing Arithmancy homework?"  Hermione nodded. 

"Need help?"

Malfoy snorted with laughter.  "I'm not Potter or Weasley, I have brains." 

Hermione glared at him.  "Don't."  She chastised.  "Harry and Ron have brains." 

"Sure they do."  Malfoy agreed sarcastically. 

"Harry and Ron are clever, granted, sometimes they need an extra shove or push forward, but they understand a lot of things.  Especially Harry, he's very good at-"

Malfoy had turned away from her at this point, staring blankly at the book case behind Hermione.  Hermione furrowed her eyebrows.  "What?"

"Nothing."  Malfoy said shortly, glaring at the books.

"Tell me."  She urged.

"You keep on talking about Potter.  Brilliant, courageous Potter, clever Potter, nice Potter, for Merlin's sake, can we talk about something else?"  Malfoy said loudly, glaring at Hermione.  Hermione's mouth was agape; she was shocked by Malfoy's sudden outburst.

"S-sure."  She stuttered.  "Something else, we can talk about s-something else."  Malfoy nodded in agreement and stared at her, waiting for her to speak.  She said nothing.  She had nothing to talk about.  He continued to stare at her for a few moments while she searched for a topic to talk about in her mind.  Sighing, he rolled his eyes and hopped off his chair.

"See you later Hermione."  He said, grasping her hand briefly before leaving the library. 

Hermione watched him go, her hand still tingling from that last touch.  "Yeah, later."  She said, but no one heard her. 

Many thanks for all the reviews!  You guys rock.  This chapter was short, I know.  There should be another chapter on the way.  Please review!


	42. Conversations with Dead People

Chapter 42.

Faith walked leisurely around Edinburgh, her stake clutched in her hand, a dagger in her boot. Edinburgh was large, so tonight, Faith was only covering a small portion of it. This past week, she had been patrolling the hellmouth, someone needed to keep the vampire numbers down.

On this particular night however, Angel had decided to join her. Deciding that they could cover more ground if they split up, Faith and Angel had gone their separate ways, and Faith had not seen Angel for two hours.

It had been a busy night so far, Faith had dusted a total of nine vampires and three demons of different races. She had saved five women and two couples from being bitten tonight, and she had killed some newly sired vampires.

Just as Faith was thinking of touching her portkey that was wrapped in cloth in her pocket, that would send her back to Hogwarts, three vampires ran into the alley, heading straight towards Faith. She grinned, and immediately started to fight them, punching and kicking right and left.

The vampires were not that strong, but they kept together and attacked Faith and the same time, and Faith found it hard to stake one of them. As she kicked one away, the other two would attack immediately, and she would have to fight both of them. Finally, she thrust a stake into one of the vampire's hearts, and the vampire turned to dust.

She grinned at the other two, and sent a roundhouse kick to one of them, sending him to the cold grimy wall. She punched the other, knocking him in the jaw and he stumbled back. They quickly regrouped, and Faith attacked again. She was reckless and wild, and one of the remaining vampires found themselves on the end of her stake. He was dust.

She turned to the last vampire, raising her stake to shoulder level. His yellow eyes glowed at her, and she attacked again, kicking him and ducking a punch. She grabbed his hand and threw him in the air to the other side of the alley. He groaned in pain and she quickly ran to him, knelt down and staked him. He was dust.

She sighed and wiped her hands on her jeans. She tucked her stake in her back pocket and stood. She ran a hand through her loose hair, and stopped halfway. Her senses were going wild; there was something near her. Behind her.

She turned around as a door behind her creaked open and heels clicked on the concrete road. Her eyes widened as she saw who it was, a tall middle aged man with a receding hair line, wearing a sharp suit. He smiled in a fatherly way at her, and held out his hand, welcoming her to him.

"My little firecracker." He said, his arms still outstretched. Faith did not move. He frowned, and his arms dropped to his sides. "What's wrong? You're surprised to see me?"

"Yeah, considering you were blown up nine years ago." Faith said warily.

Mayor Wilkins smiled. "But I'm back." He said simply, as if that solved everything.

Emotions were going wild inside of Faith. Part of her wanted to run to Wilkins and hug him, embrace the man who had been a father figure to her when she had needed it most. The rest of her was telling her to kill him, because he was evil, and at any chance, he would try to kill her too.

"What's wrong Faith?" The moment he said her name, a decision of what she should do was made. Faith closed the space between them, and embraced him tightly, throwing her arms around his neck.

Wilkins smiled, and he placed a hand on Faith's hair. "Missed me?"

Faith couldn't say anything, because her throat was so choked up. It surprised her that she had missed the mayor so much. He had been a father to her, and she had appreciated him a lot more than she had previously thought. But there was something else…something that nagged her in the back of her mind. Something that told her that this was not right, that the Mayor should not be alive.

Because Buffy had killed him.

She practically jumped out of his arms, she retreated so fast. Her body instantly lost the warmth, but she felt better and secure with her arms folded facing the Mayor.

He frowned. "Faith, what's wrong?"

"You're not supposed to be here." She said.

He laughed. "If you're talking about Graduation…then you don't have to worry about that."

Faith scoffed. "I don't have to worry about that?" She repeated. "I have to worry about that! You wanna know why? Buffy killed you!" She shouted. Faith did not miss the way Mayor scowled as she mentioned Buffy's name.

"It's a miracle." He said. "I'm back, and there's no need to worry about a bit of fuel and a match."

"A 'bit of fuel and a match'? That 'bit of fuel and a match' blew up the entire school, not to mention your snaky self!" Faith said, glaring at the Mayor.

"Faith, you're not seeing things clearly." He said, smiling.

She shook her head, looking at him skeptically. "No, you're not seeing things clearly. What are you?"

"I'm Mayor Wilkins, remember Faith?" He said, not trying to be patronizing, but his tone was. It irked Faith.

"Human or demon." She said through gritted teeth.

He smirked. "Faith, I was never a human. Well, I sure haven't been for a long darn while."

Her face fell. She had been hoping he had been human, she honestly did not know why, but that was how she felt. "So you're a demon?"

"I'm not human." He said cheerfully.

"Right. So there's only one thing to do then." She whipped out her dagger and held it up to her shoulders. "I'm gonna have to kill ya."

Faith did not know how she expected Mayor Wilkins to react to that. She thought he might have reacted with shock. Fright maybe, even sadness. But she wasn't prepared for how he reacted.

He laughed. Simply laughed. He tilted his head back and let out joyous laughter that filled the alley. She did not know why at the time, but that unnerved her. Her resolve to kill him faded, and she felt herself lowering her dagger.

"Oh my little firecracker. Sure are a lively girl, aren't ya? You always want to kill someone."

Faith bristled. "No. I'm not like that anymore."

He looked surprised. "Really? You don't kill people anymore?"

Faith shook her head. "No. And you know why? Because it's wrong."

He chuckled mirthlessly to himself. "You sound just like the Buffy girl. You know what I would like to do to her?" He stepped closer to her, and his face was inches from hers. "Kill her."

"She's already dead."

He laughed again. "Well hat's off to whoever did that." He said, miming taking off a hat with his hand. He straightened up, and looked serious. "But Faith, didn't you wish that you killed her? All that pain she gave you…she stuck a knife in you kid. Don't you wish you could have paid her back? Taken your revenge? Didn't you wish it was you killing her?"

"No." Faith said, but she hesitated. Wilkins did not miss it.

"You do, don't you?"

"No." She said firmly.

"Admit it, Faith. You wish you killed her."

"No!" Faith shouted. "I liked Buffy! Hell, I loved the girl, she was like a sister to me! And she was an amazing friend! She helped me when I was down and bad. And I loved her more than I loved you."

His face fell. "Faith…I'm your father."

Faith shook her head. "No your not. My father was a bastard. He left me and mom years ago. You're a bastard, but sure as hell ain't him. You never were! And I know what you're trying to do, and lemme tell you right now, it ain't working! I don't know who brought you back, but you can tell them that I ain't gonna be a killer again! 'Cos that ain't me anymore! That ain't me." She added quietly.

Mayor Wilkins smiled. "Well I'll be damned. You really have changed Faith. You're a beautiful woman, and I'm darn proud." He smiled faintly, and stepped back into the doorframe. "But this ain't over. I'll be seeing you." And with that, he opened the door and stepped back into the warehouse.

----------

Halfway across town, Angel was having different problems. Two young girls had found themselves in a dark alley with three older boys. Much older boys.

Angel slammed the head of one of the vampires into the brick wall, and then flung him against the dustbin. Another vampire came at him, and Angel kicked at his chest and then punched him in the face. They fought quickly, and it was obvious Angel was the stronger vampire. The vampires looked newly sired, and they had little fighting experience.

The two girls hugged the wall as they watched Angel fight the three boys-vampires-who had tried to hurt them. They watched with open eyes as one after the other, the vampires exploded into dust as Angel plunged stakes into their hearts.

Angel sighed and brushed dust off his coat sleeve. "Go home girls." He said bluntly. The two girls nodded, mute with shock and ran off.

Angel was left alone in the small street. He started to walk down it, when a voice stopped him.

"Angel?"

He froze and turned around quickly, having not heard that voice for many years. She stood in the middle of the street, her face in the shadows. But she walked forward-a little feebly- and her face was in the street light. She looked young, full of life. Blond hair framed her face and she smiled sweetly at Angel.

"Darla?"

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Tomorrow I'm going on holiday for a week, so I'll hopefully update in a week and a half. And I'm just making a guess, but this story should end in about fifteen chapters. Hopefully.

Please review! I'll send you a fabulous, free but invisible gift?!


	43. Old Acquaintances

Hi! Sorry for the wait! It's incredibly frustrating writing this at the moment, because my head is so full of Hermione/Sirius, I had half a mind to get Sirius and Hermione together, but I won't because you will all get pissed at me if I do. Gotta say though, Hermione/Sirius rules!

Anyway, thanks as always goes out to my wonderful reviewers! You're comments are always greatly appreciated!

Tavy: Hey Tavy, I hope you're having a great holiday too, I am! I totally appreciate you're comments. Faith could have been a bit more surprised, you're totally right there, but she's grown up at bit more, and I think she's a bit more calm and collected (not too much though!). As for Darla, you'll have to wait and see. :P I'm glad you're liking this!

As for all of those who want Buffy back, I gotta say that it will be soon I promise. But a few things have a happen first until then. And hopefully, this story shall be finished soon after Buffy gets back, so I hopefully won't be exceeding sixty chapters.

Chapter 43. Old Acquaintances

Harry quietly entered the suite, looking around for his godfather. He didn't have to look far, because Sirius sat in the armchair, his head bent, his black hair falling about his face.

It pained Harry to see him like that, and he knew why he was like that. Because he felt it too. Guilt. "Sirius?" He whispered, and Sirius looked up slowly. He turned his head and smiled weakly as he saw his godson.

"Hello Harry. Sit down." Sirius said, and Harry did, opposite his godfather. "What's up?" He asked, trying to sound chirpy, but it did not work. Nothing could mask the sadness in his voice.

"I just came to see how you were." Harry said quietly, and Sirius smiled.

"I'm the one that's supposed to be looking after you, Harry."

"I don't need anyone to look after me, Sirius. I'm doing fine on my own." Harry replied quietly. "I'm just worried about you, that's all."

"Don't." Was Sirius' soft answer.

"The guilt's eating away at you, isn't it? Because the last conversation you had with her was full of hate. You wish that you could turn back time, and tell her that you loved her, that you were thankful for what she gave you. But she'll never know how much she meant to you, because the last words that came from your mouth were filled with hate, and anger. You feel that way, and I feel that way. The last thing I told her was that I hated her." Sirius' eyes locked with Harry's, and Harry shifted under his gaze. He continued, he could not stop himself. "I hated her for taking you away from me, I hated the fact that she never came to England before all of this. And I told her so. But she still died for me. And I feel so guilty that I never told her how much she really meant to me. Deep down, she really meant something to me, and I never told her."

Sirius was quiet, taking everything that Harry had said in. It was at this moment that Harry realized how alone Sirius was. He had known it before, but it had never sunken in like this had. Sirius had lost almost all of his friends, and the girl he loved. Only one person-Lupin-was alive to remind him of happier times, all the rest were dead, or as good as. Harry felt even worse, for he could see the grief Sirius suffered, it was written on his face. His eyes were black and dead, his lips think and his expression was blank.

Sirius stood up and walked over to the bookshelf. His eyes ran over the titles, and he selected one after a few moments deliberation. He walked swiftly back to Harry, and handed him the book. "Here. Read it. Buffy liked it." He said, and Harry's eyebrow's furrowed. He opened the book and read the first page. "She pestered me about that book for weeks." He said, sitting back down.

"I didn't think she was the reading type." Harry admitted.

Sirius smiled and shrugged. "Well, she surprised us all." He paused, reflecting on what he just said, and then a moment later he continued normally. "She said it was really good, and I should read it. Why don't you read it first, so I can get a second opinion?" He volunteered and picked the newspaper from the table. Harry nodded, and started to read.

Hours later, Harry left the suite, having read a large portion already, and liking it. Sirius had read the paper, and they had sat in silence for many hours. There was a huge weight off Harry's chest that had been lugging him down for a month now. He felt much better.

_------------------------_

Angel took a step closer to the blond girl, who looked so much like his Darla. She was Darla. Everything about her screamed it, except for one major difference.

"You're human." Angel said in disbelief.

Darla smiled and nodded. She took a step closer to Angel. "You don't miss a thing do you?"

"What happened to you? I thought you were dead. I killed you." Angel said quickly, unable to believe what he was seeing.

"I was dead, but I was brought back. Human." Darla replied.

Angel knew what it was like to have delivered unexplainable torment for many years and then suddenly, to have a conscience and to know what he had done. To know how many people he killed, how many families he ripped apart, how much suffering he inflicted on humans. Those crimes lived with him every second, of every hour, of every day, and they haunted him. Angelus had been evil, for a century, but Darla was older, and had inflicted violence and suffering for many centuries. Angel could not imagine how Darla was feeling at this moment, with a soul, a conscience eating away at her memories.

"How?" He whispered.

"I don't know…I just woke up one day and realized I was alive." She replied, leaving out the truth. Leaving out the information that could have been useful to Angel. Darla had been brought back with powerful magic…Voldemort.

"How long?" Angel asked, and Darla shrugged.

"A couple of months." She said, stepping closer to him. She lifted her hand and touched his cheek, then his forehead. "You're still a vampire." She said, as a statement, stroking his forehead.

"That never changes."

"Help me." She whispered.

Angel frowned, "help you? With what?"

Darla touched his heart, his un-beating heart. "I want this." She said, pleaded. "I want to be like you. I want to be a vampire again."

Angel stared at her in shock. He grasped her wrists, and forced Darla to look at him. "What?" He hissed. "Why?"

"Don't you remember Angel? All our times together? We could do that again, if you just make me a vampire." She said, licking her lips seductively. She stepped closer to Angel again, but he held her at arms length, his grip on her wrists tightening. "You're hurting me. I like it." Angel gazed at her curiously, and Darla smirked. "What's wrong Angel boy?"

"You're human. Yet, you're not who I thought you would be."

Darla laughed evilly. "What? You expect me to be like you? Mope around for a hundred plus years, turn to the good side? Fight evil?" She threw her head back and laughed. When she recovered, she looked Angel in the eye. "Angel, sweetie, it's me. And I remember everything Angel. Everything we did and everything we can do."

Angel smiled, and let go of Darla. "Yeah. But the bitch is, you have a soul now. Pretty soon those memories are gonna start eating away at you. The memories of us, of what we did. No matter how hard you try - you won't be able to escape the truth of what you were. Believe me, I know. All that moping around I did, you're gonna be like that too."

"You could change it all Angel." Darla said, clutching at Angel again. "We could be like we were, just let me give you a moment of happiness and-"

Angel laughed, cutting her off. "Darla, you could never give me that." Darla's eyes widened. "I never loved you Darla, so you could never give me happiness."

"What, so it was just that school girl that could?! That cheerleader!" She shrieked.

"'Fraid so."

"We were together for a hundred and fifty years, and you never even loved me?"

"I never had a soul Darla, I couldn't love you." Angel replied, watching Darla as she drove herself into a fit of rage.

"We knew each other though. We did everything together. I did so much for you, now just do one thing for me, please Angel." Darla pleaded, an evil glint in her eye.

"I'm not making you a vampire." Angel said sternly, and he turned on his heel and walked away from Darla.

She hurried on behind him, running to keep up. "Angel please, you don't understand." She hooked her arm with Angel, trying to make him stop.

"I think I understand pretty well, Darla. And no, I'm not gonna make you a vampire." He spat back, and shook her away. He walked on.

"Angel, don't walk away from me!" Darla screamed, standing still on the street. "Angel! Angel stop!" She sighed dejectedly, and said softly, "I'm dying."

Angel stopped in his tracks, and he turned to face Darla, a disbelievingly look on his face. "Say that again." He demanded quietly.

"Syphilitic heart condition. I had it when I was human, before the Master turned me. But now I'm human again, I still have it." The disbelievingly look hadn't faded from Angel's face, and Darla knew that Angel didn't believe her. "It's true, ok! I'm dying. I only have a couple of months left, so I need to become a vampire. I need you to sire me Angel. I need you to sire me so I can live." She said, crossing the distance to Angel, and taking his hand.

He looked down at his hand in hers, and then back up to Darla, still not convinced. With his free hand, he delved into his pocket and took out a something that was covered in white cloth. "You're dying." He repeated.

"Yes."

"I don't believe you. I don't think you're telling the truth, but I know someone who can tell." Angel unraveled the cloth with his free hand and threw up the glass cup in the air, dropping the cloth. "Hold on." He said, and he caught the glass. As soon as his fingers touched it, Darla and Angel disappeared from the street.

"You're sure?" Angel asked loudly, and Madam Pomfrey sighed.

"Yes, Mister Angel. I'm positive. She is dying." She said quietly, glancing at Darla who glared at them from her bed in the hospital wing.

"You're absolutely sure?"

"Yes, Mister Angel." Madam Pomfrey repeated. "I'm very sorry about your girlfriend, but-"

"She's not my girlfriend." Angel corrected gruffly. "Is there anything you can do? Can you help her?"

Madam Pomfrey sighed again. "I'm afraid not. If you had gotten her to us sooner, maybe I could help her, but her condition…it's bad."

"Can anyone else help her?" Angel asked concerned. He wasn't quite sure he wanted to help her, why he wanted Darla alive.

"I doubt it…no, I strongly think no one will help her. We have the resources, complicated procedures, to help her Angel, but…Darla is a vampire."

"She used to be a vampire." Angel growled. "She's human now."

"Still, she was a famous vampire, and I don't think hospitals will treat her. Besides, I don't think they have the time to deal with cases like hers, what with the rise of violence, wizards and witches dying every day, the attacks…the wizarding world has too much on their hands at the moment. We all do." Angel sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Madam Pomfrey bustled over to the tray of potions and selected a purple bottle from the array of different colours. "Here. This will help her, prolong her death. Only for a few months though," She added, after seeing Angel's hopeful look on his face. "It is inevitable, Angel. She will die."

She left then, going into her office and leaving Angel and Darla alone. She sat on the edge of the pristine white bed, looking so angelic. Angel inwardly smiled; he knew that was not the case.

"It could be solved so easily Angel." She said softly. "If you just kill me-"

"No." Angel said firmly. "I'm not doing that."

"It would be easier, on all of us. And that's what I want. You can't deny me what I want."

"When I'll be the one killing you I can." Angel shot back, and Darla huffed.

"I won't stay here." Darla said defiantly. "You can't make me."

"You leave here and you'll get killed. And this time, you won't come back." Angel said, making to leave.

"What could kill me?" Darla said lightly.

"There's a war going on Darla, the safest place is here." Angel said, stopping by the door.

"With you to keep an eye on me to make sure I don't make some vampire sire me?"

"You're reading my mind, Darla." He said, leaving the room, slamming the door on the way out.

There you go, Harry and Sirius had their little heart to heart in a rugged manly way. Woo hoo! At least, I hope it was rugged and manly. Well darn it if it ain't.

Before I forget, happy birthday LilPsychoGrl51! For one of my first chapters of this story, in your review you said that you're birthday is on the 2nd of August, which is today! So happy birthday, and if you are still reading, thanks very much for sticking by! And if you're not, well, you're never gonna see this are you. So it would be pointless me writing this. I'll leave it in here just in case :P

I'm not gonna ask for reviews, but if you don't review, scary aliens from outer space will take over the world! scary, evil laugh And if you like scary aliens, than you are strange. And if you are one of those scary aliens…run away everyone else! Run away!


	44. A Meeting With the Headmaster

Chapter 44. A Meeting with the Headmaster.

Dumbledore sighed, placing his entwined hands on his wooden desk. His room was quite clean and tidy, and he had replaced the objects that Harry had destroyed last year. A small buzz came from the portraits as they talked to one another, loud enough so Dumbledore could hear them, but quiet enough so he could work.

He took off his glasses and placed them on the desk. He massaged his temples and sighed again.

"Are you all right headmaster?" One of the occupants of the paintings called out, and Dumbledore smiled.

"Yes, I am just a bit tired." He said, and he stood up, and walked slowly over to his fireplace. He took a bowl of floo powder, pinched a bit and threw it into the fireplace. The flames turned emerald green and he knelt into the fire. He muttered a few words, and after a few moments, he found that he was looking into Sirius' living room. "Hello."

Willow, who had been sitting on the sofa reading a book, shrieked with fright. She looked around for the voice and her eyes widened with shock as she saw Dumbledore in the fire. "H-hi Dumbledore. W-what's up?"

"Can you come to my office please Willow?" He said, and Willow nodded and stood up. "Can you also bring Rupert, Sirius, Angel, Faith, Spike and Remus with you?"

"Will we all fit?"

"Oh yes, of course. Please hurry." He said, disappearing back to his office.

After a few minutes, Dumbledore's guests arrived and sat down on the chairs that Dumbledore had transfigured for them. Each of them bore curious looks on their faces, and Dumbledore wasted no time on pleasantries.

"It is time I told you the truth." He started, looking into each of their eyes. "Buffy's death was tragic, and while none of you knew it was going to happen, I did."

Sirius' head jerked up and his eyes immediately met Dumbledore's. "You knew she was going to die?" He said hoarsely, and Dumbledore nodded.

"I once told a young boy, many years ago, that it is the choices that define who we are. Many months ago, I made a choice, and I stick to that choice even now, despite the consequences.

"In the middle of this summer, I met with Sybill Trelawney, our divination professor. The meeting was meant to be a business meeting only, reflecting on our past year at this school. However, my meeting proved to be more interesting, and more devastating then I had imagined.

"Sybill is the great-great-granddaughter of a famous, gifted Seer; however Sybill rarely shows that same gift her ancestor possessed. In fact, she has only displayed such a gift three times, and I was lucky enough to witness her prophecy telling two out of those three times. One of those times was on a cold night sixteen years ago at Hog's Head, and the other, was July 30th, four months ago."

Dumbledore stood up and walked over to the black cabinet next to Fawkes. He opened the cabinet and took out a shallow stone basin, carved with Runes around the edges. Dumbledore placed the Pensive on the table and sat down. The others watched in a curious silence.

Dumbledore placed his wand at his temple and withdrew silvery, thin strands of thought and he deposited it in the basin. He leant back, and then prodded the swirls of thought with his wand tip.

A figure rose out of the basin, draped in large shawls and beads. She revolved slowly, like something on display in a shop, and Dumbledore's guests leant closer for a better view. And in her harsh voice, Trelawney retold her prophecy.

"_Sixteen years after her sister's death…the slayer shall fall…then… the Dark Wizard can be defeated…and only then can his equal fall…until the slayer dies…neither can be vanquished…only after she falls…they can be killed…Only one spell can kill the Dark Wizard…and only one can kill his equal…only after the slayer is resurrected for the second time…can the spells be revealed…and only then can the Dark Wizard and his equal fall forever…" _

The slowly revolving figure sank into the silvery substance in the bowl and vanished.

The room was silent; all occupants did not make a sound. The faint buzz of the portraits had hushed, and even Fawkes was silent. Dumbledore stared at the Pensieve, waiting for the outburst, which was inevitable, to happen.

When no one made a move to speak, Dumbledore started to talk softly. "I made a choice. It was a hard decision to make, and I spent many hours laboring over it, but in the end, I decided to do what was right. Buffy's death, though tragic, served for a higher purpose. She was merely a bishop, a knight, which needed to be sacrificed in order to achieve check mate.

"I called you here because you were the closest to her, and I can almost hear the grief from here in my office. I wanted you to know the truth about her death, and the importance she will play in our fight against Voldemort."

The office fell into silence again, as each guest pondered what they had just been told. The moon shone brightly outside, and each star twinkled in the velvet sky. Faith stared out of the window, her gaze resting on the lake that shimmered. She looked back at Dumbledore, and found he was looking at her.

"Did she know?" Faith whispered hoarsely.

"No." Dumbledore admitted. "I didn't think there was a need, for then her last few months alive would be overshadowed by something she couldn't control. But, she must have realized in the back of her mind that something was amiss, as I had appeared in her apartment, having literally announced my coming moment's before, three days after hearing the prophecy. I had never asked her to come to Hogwarts before, so why then? Why so abruptly, why so spontaneously had I asked? She may not have paid attention to these details then, but I'm sure she may have pondered them at the back of her mind sometime after."

"The prophecy." Giles said bluntly, taking off his glasses. He held them in his lap, tightly, and as if it pained him to talk even further, he furrowed his eyebrows and squinted at Dumbledore. "What…does…it…mean?" He said slowly, and he replaced his glasses.

"To summarize, it means that the slayer shall die sixteen years exactly after her sister's death. It is only then, that Voldemort and Harry can die. Before her passing, it would have been impossible to kill the pair, but now she is dead, they can be defeated. It also means that a simple spell, the killing curse, cannot kill Voldemort or Harry. Another spell can, one designed for Voldemort, and another designed for Harry. These two spells will reveal themselves, when the slayer is resurrected for the second time."

"Resurrected?" Willow said, her head snapping up, her tone of voice portraying a piece of hope.

"Yes." Dumbledore replied softly.

"When? How?" Willow asked eagerly, and Dumbledore shook his head, shrugging.

"I do not know. One cannot know. It may be days, months, even years from now." Dumbledore sighed and leant forward, addressing the group. "The truth is, I have been researching for a way to bring Buffy back. But, it just cannot be done."

"Wait, she brought me back. Can't you just do what she did?" Sirius said, hopefully.

"The spell that Buffy performed was not intended to bring you back, Sirius." Dumbledore said softly. "According to those who were there, as Remus was, your resurrection was unintentional."

"She was looking for a dagger, and she used a spell to find something from another dimension." Lupin supplied.

"Can't we just do that spell then?" Spike argued. "Willow can do her magic and we hope for the best."

"That is exactly what is wrong with that method. Sirius' resurrection was a mistake, or rather, Buffy resurrected him by mistake. If we perform the spell again, who knows what could appear out of the portal. Demons, hellish creatures could be brought forth from that portal. You must remember that that spell was not meant for resurrection." Dumbledore explained. "I would also like to show you something else." Once again, Dumbledore put his wand tip to his temple and extracted silver strands of thought. He deposited them in the basin and then prodded the swirls with his wand.

Proffessor Trelawney rose up again, revolving on the basin. She opened her mouth and spoke again in her harsh voice.

_"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches…born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies…and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have the power the Dark Lord knows not…and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives…the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies…"_

The revolving figure sank back into the basin and vanished, just as before.

"Remus and Sirius have heard of that prophecy, but none of you have." Dumbledore explained, sitting back in his chair. "This prophecy was made right before my eyes, some sixteen years ago. Sybill speaks of Harry Potter."

"That prophecy is about Harry?" Willow said with wide eyes. "Poor kid."

"Yes, I told him about this prophecy at the end of last year. You understand what all of this means, do you not?"

Giles nodded. "Harry is the only one who can stop Voldemort. They are equals."

"Exactly. However, Harry cannot defeat Voldemort, and vice versa, until Buffy dies, and we know of the spells that are needed to kill them."

"So now that Buffy has died, Harry can kill Voldemort." Angel said softly.

"Yes. On Halloween, the sixteen anniversary of James Potter and Lily Evans' death, Death Eaters set out to kill Buffy and bring Harry back with them, so Voldemort could kill him.

"Fortunately, we stopped them from taking Harry. But, from that night, and from the fact that Voldemort was so ready to kill Harry on that night, I can decipher that Voldemort already knows how to reveal the curses needed, or at least the spell needed for him to kill Harry."

"And let me guess, we don't have a clue about how to reveal the curse to kill Voldemort." Spike said, rolling his eyes.

"Not quite, Spike. I have found a way, a link for the curses to be revealed to us, and that is where you come in Angel." Dumbledore said, looking pointedly at the broody vampire.

"Me? What do I know, I know nothing."

"That's true." Spike muttered.

Dumbledore frowned at Spike and continued. "You're friend, Darla, currently dwells in the dungeons of this castle, is this correct?"

"God knows what she's doing there." Giles said under his breath, his memories of Darla and the Master still fresh.

"She's human!" Angel defended.

"She's still evil!" Giles shot back. "She keeps pestering Spike to bite her!"

"Don't worry mate, I won't." Spike said, at Angel's glare.

"Guys, shut up." Willow demanded, and the three men fell silent. "What has this got to do with Darla?"

"A lot." Dumbledore replied. "Did Darla tell you of how she was resurrected?"

"She said she just woke up and realized she was alive." Angel shrugged dismissively. "What has that got to do with anything?"

"What Darla said was true, but what she failed to mention was that Voldemort resurrected her." Dumbledore said.

"What?" Angel said disbelievingly. "How? Why?"

Dumbledore shook his head. "How, I do not know. Voldemort has incredible power, dark power that I do not possess. While I am powerful, he possesses power I do not, and vice versa. I however do not acquire the power that is needed to defeat Voldemort, like Harry does.

"I fear it is only Voldemort that can resurrect Buffy, which is why he intended to take Harry back with him on Halloween. I think he is searching for a way to do so now, or is finding the supplies needed. Why did he resurrect Darla? Because he believes that she knows the curses, or one of them.

"Here at Hogwarts, we have a large amount of resources about the history of both muggle world and the magical world. However, there is another world that exists among these two, which you, Spike, Angel and Faith, belong to. The demon world.

"Although the books we have tell us about demon history, is not a complete as the books and resources Voldemort has. We only know snippets of your history, and we only know about these snippets because they relate to the magical world.

"Voldemort has dark wizards, evil vampires and bands of demons at his beck and call, which is an advantage for him. He possesses the power we do not, the knowledge of these curses.

"Now, back to the point. Sybill Trelawney is the descendant of a very gifted Seer, Cassandra Trelawney." Dumbledore forced a smile as Angel's eyebrow's rose. "You have heard of her?"

"Yeah." Angel said weakly. "I know her. I killed her."

Sirius and Lupin glared at Angel. "You killed Cassandra Trelawney? The greatest Seer of all time?" Lupin said disbelievingly.

Before Angel got a chance to explain himself, Dumbledore explained to the group of Angel's actions. "In the mid 1800's, Angelus met a Seer. He was in England, with Darla. This was, of course, before the pair met Drusilla. Angelus and Darla decided that they did not care much for the English seer, and decided to kill her, not before Cassandra told her last prophecy. This prophecy wasn't important to Angelus and Darla, and they did not think twice of what they had been told. Can you guess what Angelus and Darla had heard?"

"The curses." Giles and Lupin chorused softly.

"Indeed. Now I know that the curses cannot be revealed to us until Buffy is alive again, but I do not know when that will be. It could be months, even years from now until that is. But Angel, do you have any memories of Cassandra Trelawney, any at all?"

Angel thought for a moment, but shook his head. "No. I remember her screaming, but that's it."

"If this Cassandra was such a powerful Seer, why didn't she use magic to save herself from Angel?" Faith said, skirting away from the topic.

"A Seer's life is a hard one. From a very early age, Cassandra started receiving visions, and unfortunately, this prevented her from learning anything above the lowest level of magic. She was so much in demand, and her visions took up a great amount of her time." Dumbledore explained.

"Why doesn't Angel remember the curses?" Willow asked curiously.

Angel swallowed hard. "There are some things…some things I repress. My memories of my time of Angelus are too painful for me, and I just repress them. There are things I do not remember, because I do not want to."

"Well can you just want to remember them then?" Spike said irritably. "So we can kill this Voldemort guy and get Buffy back."

"It's not that simple, Spike" Angel growled. "I can't just summon it, because I don't want to remember, I _don't _remember."

"But I bet Angelus does." Giles said softly, and Angel's eyes widened.

"What are you implying Giles…we bring back Angelus? Do you remember what he did last time he was out?" Angel said harshly.

Giles closed his eyes and nodded-the picture of Jenny Calender's dead body still fresh in his mind. "I do remember, good and well, but it's the only chance we've got."

"Wait, what about Darla?" Lupin intervened. "She was there, maybe she knows of the curses?"

Angel sighed. "Yeah, Darla isn't interested in talking to anybody whose heart is still beating. She wouldn't tell us."

"She might." Spike said, with a glint in his eye. "She gives us what we want; we give her what she wants."

"No, I'm not killing her." Angel growled.

Dumbledore held up his hand to stop the fight that was brewing between the two vampires. "We will not bring about Angelus, and we will not ask Darla about it…at least, we won't yet. We'll give it some time, let Darla settle into Hogwarts, and then we'll ask her. If she won't tell us anything by Christmas, we shall have to start thinking about other ways. Our last resort would be to bring back Angelus." The group nodded, understanding Dumbledore's request. "That is all I want to talk to you about, you may go." He said, dismissing them. They all rose and started to leave. "Oh, Willow, may I talk to you for a second?"

Willow nodded and smiled at the rest of the group as they filed out. She took a seat in front of Dumbledore's desk and faked a smile. "What's up?"

Dumbledore peered at Willow from behind his half moon spectacles. "I know what you are planning to do, Willow, and I must advise you to not."

Willow's smile did not falter. "I have no idea what you are talking about Dumbledore."

He looked at her sternly and leant forward in his chair. "Yes you do. You are planning to look up every spell in the Hogwarts library for a resurrection spell, and then when you don't find one, you will ask Xander to look for you in Los Angeles. I advise you not to do this Willow."

"Why Albus?" Willow said crestfallen. "I could resurrect her, I know I could."

"There are no spells of resurrection for wand magic. I do not doubt that there are spells of resurrection in Wicca magic, but I ask you not to Willow."

"Please Albus; you don't know how much this is killing me." Willow pleaded.

"It would require a lot of control for that kind of spell, control that you do not possess. I'm looking into your best interests for this, and I ask you, do not attempt to bring Buffy back."

"So what can I do?" Willow said, her eyes shining with tears. "Let her lie there in her cold coffin, all alone, waiting for Voldemort to figure out how to resurrect her?"

"That is exactly what I propose we do. Voldemort will definitely bring Buffy back; I have no doubt in my mind about that." Dumbledore said knowingly, and Willow could not help but believe him.

"So we wait." Willow said, sighing with frustration.

"We wait. Good night Willow."

Ok, so a big recap chapter just in case people did not understand anything. Next chapter is definitely more interesting, trust me. And something that lots of people want is going to happen…;)

As always, thanks for all of the reviews, and thank you for being so patient while you wait for me to update. I promise that the next chapter will be up soon, in about a week. Till then…don't forget to review!


	45. Resurrection

This chapter is dedicated to Malli, the author of 'Phoenix Child' who passed away. The world has lost a great writer; she will be missed.

Chapter 45.

Draco Malfoy walked quickly into the library, ignoring the incredulous stares he received from the strict librarian. He hurried to the back of the library where a brunette girl was sitting at a table, reading a book. He joined her and glanced at the cover of the book.

"'_Fifty reasons why Wizards are better than Muggles'_?" Draco quoted, raising an eyebrow. "You do know that this book is insulting people like your family?"

"I'm not entirely stupid, Draco." Hermione said, closing the book and placing it on the desk. "It was just lying here and I got bored waiting for you, so I decided to read it. It's quite interesting how much old-fashioned wizards are so oblivious to the uses of Muggles."

"Muggles aren't useful." Malfoy said scornfully.

Hermione sighed. "I beg to differ."

"How they manage without magic is beyond me. And they don't even manage without magic very well either, and they are incredibly ignorant."

"They may be ignorant, but they certainly manage without magic. They have electricity instead of fire, television instead of barbaric chess, cars instead of floo and apparition. They manage perfectly fine."

"What's a television?"

"Something better than chess I assure you, although Muggles have chess, except it's a lot less violent."

"What's the fun in that?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "It's less cruel, less barbaric. Besides, there are other things with violence in them, which will tide boys like you over. There are movies –pictures moving with sound for two hours or so- with violence, which are shown on a television."

"Wizards are superior to Muggles." Draco stated.

"No, wizards have a special gift that gives them advantages over Muggles. Wizards aren't better than Muggles, they are just luckier. Think of Squibs, born without magic. Just because we-being witches and wizards- have gifts that other humans do not, does not make us superior."

"It does." Malfoy argued. "We can do things Muggles can't; therefore we are superior, better."

"Fine." Hermione said nonchalantly. "In that case, Harry is superior to you."

"What?" Draco spluttered.

"I'm superior to you as well." Hermione said just as casually as before.

"Run me by that again?"

Hermione sighed and looked Draco in the eye. "I'm cleverer than you. My grades are higher, therefore, I'm superior. Harry's better at Quidditch, he's never lost a match to you, and therefore he is superior to you."

"No way, that doesn't make sense!" Malfoy said angrily.

"Of course it does." Hermione shrugged.

"I'm just as good as Potter is! It's just dumb luck that he wins every bloody match against me."

"Exactly. Luck. Its luck that gave Harry his talents to beat you at Quidditch: its luck that gave me the intelligence to achieve higher grades than you: its luck that some members of the human race have magic when others don't."

Malfoy's eyebrow's furrowed as the conversation veered into a different direction. "Wait, that's not what I mean."

"It's exactly what you mean. Just because wizards and witches came into the world with certain advantages than Muggles, doesn't make us better. It just makes us luckier."

Malfoy frowned, processing everything Hermione had said. He sighed and looked back up to her. "Why does everything you say make sense?"

She shrugged and gave him a small smile. "I'm just lucky."

He rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

Her smile grew and she stood up. "I've got to go."

"Running back to Potty are we?" Malfoy said angrily and Hermione rolled her eyes.

"I know you don't like him, but, just be nice when you're around me, ok? He's my best friend; I don't know what I'll do without him." Her cheeks turned slightly pink as she said this, and this did not go unnoticed by Draco.

"Are you in love with him?" He asked bluntly, and Hermione's eyes widened.

"No! Of course not!" But her blush deepened.

"You're blushing."

"So." Hermione said defiantly. "That doesn't mean anything."

He smirked. "And I thought it would be the weasel you would fall for."

"Ron?" Hermione scoffed. "No, Ron and I are friends."

"Right, like you and Harry are." Draco said suggestively.

"Exactly, like Harry and me."

"You're cheating on him; I never thought you would do something like that." Draco joked and Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Good bye Draco."

"Give Potty a kiss for me!"

"Why don't you give him one yourself?"

Time passed quickly, and before they knew it, Christmas was upon the students and teachers at Hogwarts. For the first time, Harry spent his Christmas away from Hogwarts, without a snake attacking his best friend's father to thank for it. It was, admittedly, a quiet and saddened Christmas, unlike the one before. Angel Investigations went back to Los Angeles for the holiday, leaving behind Angel who stayed with Darla in the Hogwarts castle; she refused to go anywhere else. In exchange, Xander and Anya came to London, with their two month old baby girl, Anne.

While the Scoobies and the Order prepared for a reasonably quiet Christmas, Lord Voldemort had other plans.

"You will be successful?"

Rack nodded, a small cruel smile twisted on his face. "Absolutely."

Voldemort glared at the warlock. "You are sure? I don't take failure easily." He warned, fingering his wand.

"It will. You'll get you're slayer back, just as long as I get what I want." Rack rubbed his hand together greedily, and sparks of magic flew off of them.

Voldemort looked at him curiously. "And why should I give you something?"

"You've got to give a little to get a little right?"

Voldemort smiled cruelly, and stepped closer to Rack. Rack stepped back, painfully aware of the magic Voldemort possessed that far surpassed his. "You give the slayer her life, and I make sure you'll keep yours. Understood?"

--------------------------

It was two days later when Rack stood in front of Buffy's grave, the earth dug up from above it, the lid of the coffin removed and Buffy's pale face facing the sky. Death Eaters surrounded Rack and two other Wiccans who stood by the grave. Rack's helpers held lit candles in their hands, and one of them anxiously looked at her watch.

"One minute till midnight." She said, nervously glancing at the Death Eater's surrounding them.

"Do it." Lucius Malfoy ordered, from behind his mask.

"Now." Rack ordered, and the Wiccans, including two Death Eaters, knelt in front of the grave, forming a semi-circle. Rack took out a small jar with red liquid in it, and poured it into an urn; the urn of Osiris. _"Osiris, keeper of the gate, master of all fate, hear us." _Rack dipped his fingers into the urn and marked both his cheeks and his forehead with the blood. _"Before time and after, before knowing and nothing."_Rack poured the contents of the urn on the grass before him. _"Accept our offering, know our prayer."_

When the words had left his lips, Rack jerked forward, his stringy brown hair falling in front of his face. Deep, ugly gashes appeared on his arms, but he did not look worried. _"Osiris! Here lies the warrior of the people. Let her cross over!" _He winced in pain as large round shapes moved in his skin. It moved up his arms, and Rack moaned in pain, but he wore a smile on his face. The shapes moved up to his shoulders, then to his chest and up to his neck. _"Osiris! Let her cross over!" _Rack yelled. Suddenly, he started to choke and he bent his head to the ground. His companions looked horrified as a snake appeared in his mouth, then slithered out onto the grass below. He gasped as the snake left his mouth, then he knelt up as orange light started to swirl around him. _"Osiris! Release her!" _Rack yelled as the orange turned to red.

And then, the red mist broke off from Rack and swirled towards Buffy and dipped into her casket, skimming over desiccated skin. As the orange-red mist swirled over Buffy's body, her eyeballs appeared and her hair and skin repaired its rotting state.

_"Osiris!" _Rack finally yelled, before the orange mist rose up above Buffy and Rack, coming together above them and turning into a white light, before it disappeared entirely.

Rack grinned to himself and stood up, peering down at the woman below him in the casket. "Good morning sweetie, it's time to wake up."

And then was when Buffy opened her eyes.


	46. Return of the Slayer

Chapter 46, Return of the Slayer.

Buffy felt awful. Truly awful. Every part of her body ached. She felt like she had just been pierced by blades all over her body, then electrocuted. Her eyes felt sore, her throat dry, and she couldn't remember much of how she had gotten here. All she saw were faces. Masked faces, unmasked faces. And she heard voices, a man, taunting her, others shouting in triumph. She blinked, her vision blurry. She closed her fist, then wiggled her toes, and then tried to sit up. Two people, two of the unmasked ones, helped her up, helped her out of her…grave?

Buffy stared back at what she had been lying in…white silk lined the casket, dark shiny wood on the cover. And then she looked above the grave, and at the tombstone. Her vision was still blurry, but she could make out some of the words…her name.

_When had I died?_

She heard someone laugh behind her, and she shook with fear. He turned her around, and Buffy gasped. His eyes were black, there was no white in it…and something stirred in her memory.

_Black eyes…magic…__Willow_

"Don't try to talk." He said to her when she opened her mouth. He placed his hands on her arms, and lead Buffy away from the open grave. "You probably feel a little disoriented, right?"

Buffy nodded. She frowned when one of the masked men came towards her, and frowned even more when he took off the mask.

_Blue eyes…cold voice…_

"The Dark Lord would like to speak to you." Lucius said coldly, taking her away from Rack.

Buffy shook her head weakly, knowing that this was not a good thing.

He only laughed. "Don't worry; we'll take care of you."

Buffy's eyebrow's furrowed, and he laughed again. His hand disappeared into his robe, but came out a minute later; he was holding a small silver goblet.

"A few seconds Lucius." A voice said, and Buffy turned her head to see the owner, but she couldn't distinguish it.

"Good. Right on time." Lucius said coldly, and removed the glove from his hand and touched the goblet. He roughly pulled Buffy's hand to the goblet, and smiled cruelly when she winced in pain. Before Buffy could retract her hand, she found that the dark graveyard and all the people disappeared. She screamed out loud, her throat hoarse from not having used it in months. And then her feet touched the ground, and she felt someone grab her to stop her from falling. "Careful now." Lucius said, enjoying Buffy's vulnerability.

"Take her in there." A female voice said behind Buffy, and Buffy felt herself being dragged through the room and pushed onto a chair. Lucius whipped out a long, dark wand and muttered a few words. Chains sprung up from the chair arms and binded Buffy to the chair, and she screamed again. "Stay there." Lucius taunted.

_Only two shall die tonight…Avada Kedavra…_Malfoy!

Buffy glared up at him as he surveyed her coldly. The cruel smile widened on his pale face, and he bent down, his face inches from hers. "What's the matter Buffy?"

She spat at him, the little saliva her dry mouth could produce hit his eye and nose, and he recoiled in disgust. He took out a white handkerchief from his robe pocket and wiped the spit off his face. "So, you remember who I am."

Buffy glared at him, rocking the chair on its fore legs. Her mouth was dry, and she could not manage a long sentence, so she said: "Bastard."

"Colourful language." He said sarcastically. "Well, I hope it comforts you to know that you're nephew is dead." His smile grew at the look on her face. "Yes, it's true. Harry Potter is dead, and you're feeble attempts to stop it did not work." He lied, turning on his heel and walking away from her. When he reached the door, he paused and turned back to her, ignoring the tiny tears that escaped her eyes. "I hope that comforts you."

And he slammed the door closed, leaving her alone.

---------------------

As soon as Angel's head had touched his pillow in his room at Hogwarts, he fell asleep.

Bright colours…red and purple and orange clouded his vision. Incense smoke burned his eyes; soft cloth was in between his fingers.

"Cassandra…the great Seer."

He heard a voice drawl, a female one, and he felt himself grinning at the sight of the small blonde, talking to the whimpering old Seer.

"Did you foresee this?" He heard himself say, in an Irish accent.

"Please…" She pleaded, her body backed up against the wall, dressed with tapestries and colorful paintings.

_Aequus lux…_two curses…Dark Lord's equal…" Were the only words he heard, in a deafening echo that pounded the walls in the room.

And then the woman screamed, screamed as he felt something warm in his mouth, screamed as he sucked her neck, her once warm skin turning cold as ice.

She fell to the floor, her eyes wide and glassy, unseeing, and he felt nothing, no remorse or pity, but only licked his lips and fingertips covered with the thick red substance that gave life. He laid her across of a pile of embroidered pillows, laid out to give a shock to her family whence they found her.

"_Aequus__ lux_…" The words of a curse pounded in his head again, and back at Hogwarts, centuries later, Angel gasped as he bolted upright in his bed, awake and disbelieving.

Buffy felt weak. Her vision had cleared up, and she remembered everything, but she felt helpless, as she had spent what seemed like hours, trying to loosen the binds that held her. But the binds were magical, and she needed her wand, which she did not possess, to break the spell.

Buffy's head lolled forward as her eyes threatened to close from exhaustion. Her eyes were red from crying, crying about the nephew she had lost and the countless of other Muggles and magic folk who must have lost their lives since her nephew's death. Because that was what it meant, if Harry was dead, Voldemort had won.

Buffy had sunk to rock bottom. Everything that she had gained, that she had looked for, was lost, and she was stuck in the worst place imaginable, under Voldemort's clutches. But she would not give up, she thought to herself. When she escaped from Voldemort and this wretched place he was holding her, she would find the Scoobies and the Order, and work to stop Voldemort. She had not been able to save her nephew, but she would help to save many other people.

------

Outside the room Buffy was being held in, were several Death Eaters, demons and other folk desperate to see the girl Voldemort had worked so hard in getting. But, they had a plan. For a long time now, Voldemort had suspected a traitor, a spy working for Dumbledore. No doubt the spy would have met Buffy, and would obviously try to help her to escape. Security had been tightened, and Voldemort had made sure that the traitor would not escape alive.

It was not long before, having been called by Voldemort, Severus Snape arrived at Voldemort's side, eager to hear the discussions that the meeting was about to arise. He had known nothing about the plans to bring back Buffy, although Dumbledore told him to keep his ear open for any news. So it was a shock when a cocky Death Eater nudged Snape in the ribs and whispered:

"The Dark Lord has brought the Evans girl back." He said gleefully, and Snape took on a look of disbelief. He thanked Merlin that he had on his mask.

"What?" He asked, as stonily as possible.

The Death Eater rolled his eyes, knowing very well of Snape's cold attitude. He leant closer to Snape and said: "the slayer….Buffy summers, was resurrected a few hours ago."

"Where is she?"

"In there." The Death Eater said, nodding his head to the door surrounded by demons and Death Eaters. Snape did not bother to utter a thank you; he just strode toward the door, and only stopped when a few demons and Death Eater's blocked his way.

"Where are you going?" A blue faced demon said gruffly, and Snape took out his wand, not in a threatening way, but showing the demon that he was a wizard, and therefore superior to the demon.

"In there." Snape replied coldly.

"Who sent you?" A high pitched voice of a demon squeaked up, but before Snape could lie, a voice interrupted them.

"He did." A death Eater said, scurrying up to the door. "On the Dark Lord's orders."

The demons nodded, and around Snape, creatures and people alike whispered among themselves excitedly. The demons opened the door for the two men.

"Hello Severus." The Death Eater greeted.

"Good evening, Wormtail."

-------

So sorry for the lack of updates these past weeks, I've been incredibly busy, and I will try to update sooner than I had before. I will not be abandoning this story, no matter what; I've just gotten really busy.

As always, thanks for the reviews. You all rock.

phoenix83ad, I think you've misunderstood the Osiris spell. The spell does not mean that Buffy was in heaven, it is not a spell to bring someone back from heaven. Otherwise, why would Willow have done it, if she thought Buffy was in hell? Buffy will not moan and be generally boring (or at least, I hope so) because I hated Season 6 Buffy. And it just really doesn't fit with the story. There is already so much going on, we don't need a moaning Buffy as well.

_Aequus lux _means equal light in Latin. And it is not the spell to kill Voldemort. Its the other one. :)

Started a new community, it's for all those who like Hermione/Sirius pairings. So if that's what you like, check it out. The link is in my profile.

Oh, don't forget to review. Please?


	47. Escape

Chapter 47. Escape.

The two Death Eaters entered the dimly light, cold and bare room. There was a fire burning, but no warmth was radiating from it. There were no windows, and the only way in or out was through the door they had just come in through. The door shut quickly behind them, drowning out the sound of the demons chattering behind them, and Buffy, strapped to a wooden chair in the middle of the room, glanced up, her eyes bloodshot.

Under his mask, Peter Pettigrew grinned maliciously. Buffy Evans had never warmed to him as a child, had never fully trusted him, and no doubt that had not changed.

Buffy stared at the two masked men, only seeing their eyes, cold, dark and masked. The Death Eater on the left was short and fatter than the one on the right, and Buffy had a burning desire to know who they were.

Then, as if they had heard her thoughts, they both took off their masks, and Buffy could see their faces. The Death Eater on the right was Snape, and she made no sign of acknowledgement to him, no silent pleading for him to help her escape. She was not sure if he had changed sides since Harry's death, and did not want to find out the wrong way.

The man on the left was a different story. His face was chubby and pale, with large teeth and small beady eyes. His hair was dirty and greasy, and there was stubble on his chin. He looked familiar to Buffy, like an old friend she hadn't see for a very long time. And then she saw his hand. One of his hands gleamed in the dull light, shined and reflected Buffy on her chair, a silver hand.

Wormtail.

The glare on her face intensified, and she managed a croaky: "You."

He laughed, high pitched and gleeful. He walked closer to her, his silver hand closing into a fist. Buffy struggled in her chair, trying with even more energy to break out of her bonds, every part of her body and mind and heart wanted desperately to kill him, to wipe that smug look off his face, cut off his mouth so he could never grin again…

His silver hand closed around her throat, and Buffy was suffocating, every gasp for breath was a desperate struggle. The hand tightened, and her vision went black, her struggles lessened and then:

"Stop it Wormtail." Snape ordered. "She's no use to us dead. The Dark Lord will not like that."

The grip on her throat lessened, and Buffy gasped, taking in as much oxygen as she could. Her vision returned to normal, and she saw Wormtail glare at Snape, put his mask on, and then leave.

Buffy coughed, her throat even sorer, and as soon as the door closed, Snape conjured up a glass of water. He came closer to her and the cool glass touched Buffy's dry, parched lips. She opened her mouth willingly, and Snape tilted the glass so cool water splashed into the depths of her mouth and Buffy drank thirstily.

When she had finished, Snape placed the glass by her foot, and Buffy whispered her thanks.

"I just found out." Snape whispered. "I haven't told Dumbledore yet."

"How am I gonna get out of here?"

"I do not know. Security is very tight; they suspect someone to help you out of here."

"It's too dangerous for you to risk everything, it's not worth it."

"I'm sure Black does not think so." Snape growled. "And Potter would like his aunt back."

"He's alive?" Buffy breathed.

Snape frowned. "Of course."

"But Malfoy told me…never mind," Buffy said, feeling stupid.

"Your sacrifice was not in vain. You saved him." Snape said.

Buffy grinned. "Was that a bit of kindness?"

"Are you mad? Of course it was not." Snape defended, but the smile did not falter from Buffy's face.

"What's gonna happen now?"

"I will go back home, alert Dumbledore. Then I will create a portkey, apparate back here and then find a way out of here, and take you back to safety. Probably Grimmauld Place. You'll be safest there, and there will be a few people happy to see you." Snape turned to go, replacing his mask.

"Thanks Severus." Buffy said, from her chair.

"You're welcome, Buffy."

------------

Snape did exactly what he said he would do. He apparated back to his home and wrote on a piece of parchment:

_'It's happened. Tell Moody and Tonks to meet us at Godric's Hollow. They can take Buffy back. Do not worry about me, I shall be fine.'_

He tied it to his owl's leg and told the owl to send it to Dumbledore. He then took an empty beaker and said _"Portus". _He draped a piece of cloth over it and then put it in his pocket. He opened a cupboard and took out a long slender wand, Buffy's wand, and a silver dagger. He tucked it in his pocket with the beaker, and apparated back to Voldemort's hideout.

The corridor surrounding Buffy's room was almost deserted, save a few demons that guarded the entrance. They nodded to Severus and let him in, and Severus was shocked to find Wormtail back in the room with Buffy.

Peter looked behind him, and silently acknowledged Snape, and then turned back to Buffy. His face was covered with his mask again, but his silver hand gleamed in the fire light. Buffy struggled desperately on her chair, an angry look on her face, her eyes burning with hatred. She clenched her fists and struggled even more as Peter started to speak.

"I was just saying, Severus, how fulfilling it was to hear about the Potter's death." Peter said maliciously.

"Bastard." Buffy whispered.

"They never suspected me, did you know that Buffy? Never did they think it would be poor, weak Peter to betray them." He paused, lost in the memories, in the feeling that haunted so many, but not him. He had no regrets, no remorse. He had traded his friends for a better, more powerful one, and he had never felt guilty. "They shouldn't have underestimated me."

"You talk as if you are a powerful wizard." Buffy said, "But you're not. You're nothing! You're worthless." She spat.

"Sticks and stones, Buffy." Peter said mockingly. "Didn't Lily ever teach you that?"

"Don't you dare talk about my sister like that!" Buffy yelled, lunging forward at him, but the chair stayed glued to the floor, and she jerked back painfully. Peter laughed.

"I'll talk about her any way I want. She's dead. And she's never coming back, not to you and not to her dear son Harry."

"It's because of you that Harry doesn't have any parents!" Buffy yelled. "Don't you feel sorry for him? Do you not feel guilt? You were at his birth! You held him like Sirius and Remus did! Don't you feel anything?"

"No. I don't feel anything. I don't feel guilty and I don't feel remorse. Do you know why? I've found something better. I'm better off with Lily and James dead. I'm a better as a person."

"No you're not. You're just a follower. A sheep. You are a weak, gullible man who killed his only friends for a chance to be around some powerful wizards, who see you as a worthless person. You don't have a skill to offer them. What use are you to them?"

"I resurrected the Dark Lord!" Peter laughed. "That is more than anyone has ever done for Him! And I split your nephew blood for him also. Cut him to resurrect my master."

"And they were your biggest mistakes. Using Harry, resurrecting Voldemort and killing my sister. I'll make sure you pay. I'll kill you with my bare hands if I have to, but you will pay." Buffy said coldly, her gaze turning to ice. He couldn't help himself; Peter stepped back from Buffy, threatened by the power and darkness that emanated from this small girl.

"I think you should leave." Snape's cold voice interrupted the quiet.

"Yes, yes, I think I will Severus." Peter stuttered and he hid his silver hand in his robes, and left the room without a backwards glance. The heavy doors shut behind him.

"Get me out of here." Buffy said heavily. "The sooner you do, the sooner I can kill him." He

"Security here is very tight. I have a portkey here that will transport you to Godric's hollow, where Moody and Tonks will take you back to headquarters. _Finite Incantatum."_Buffy sighed with relief as the bonds disappeared and she stood up, stretching. Snape averted his eyes. "I've got your wand and a weapon." He said, handing the items to her. "You are going to have to fight." Snape said. Buffy winced and looked down at her clothes, a long black skirt, a lacy black shirt and large heels.

"Not in these clothes." Buffy said.

Snape frowned and handed her the portkey. "Wait here." Snape ordered, and Buffy sat back down on the chair. Snape left the room, but came back a few minutes later with black robes, similar to the ones he was wearing. "Put it on." He said, and Buffy nodded. She took out her dagger and cut two long slits down the skirt, making it easier for her to move. She shrugged on the robe and lifted the hood, concealing her face from view. "You will have to get well outside of this building. The Dark Lord can tell who apparates and uses a portkey to get out of her. I'll escort you the majority of the way, to protect you, but you will need to be quick, someone will find out that you have escaped and it will be very hard getting out of here."

"Sure thing Mr. Pole up the Butt. Just take it easy, we'll get out of here safely."

"How can you be so sure?" Snape asked gruffly.

"Because I did not get resurrected to be held captive by Voldemort." Buffy said.

"You sound sure."

"I do, don't I?" Well, I guess it means that I am." Buffy said, inching herself towards the door. She took out her dagger and hid it carefully in the sleeve of her robe.

"Demons guard this door." Snape warned. "Only three." Buffy nodded, and Snape opened the door and casually walked out, Buffy following.

"Hey!" One of the demons shouted, realizing something was amiss. "What-"

And then Buffy stabbed the demon in the eye, and kicked at another one. She turned back to the stabbed demon, which was flailing with pain, and twisted his neck roughly, killing it. She did the same with the other one, and retrieved her dagger. She looked back at Snape who had successfully stunned his demon. Silently agreeing, they hurried down the corridor, Snape leading the way. It was not long before another Death Eater turned into their corridor, and Buffy kept her head down, so she would not be seen. She held her breath nervously as the Death Eater neared them, getting her dagger and wand ready in case he stopped. Thankfully, he walked straight past.

Snape and Buffy got to the exit of the building relatively easily, having only encountered a few demons and vampires, and one Death Eater. However, the moment they stepped outside, a loud whirring noise sounded, and Buffy knew that it was an alarm.

"Shit." She muttered, but was off running towards the woods she could see in the distance. "Go Snape! I'll be fine!" Buffy yelled as she ran, and Snape, against his will, headed back into the building, praying to Merlin that she would.

Buffy ran as fast as she could, the cold air seeping in through her thin clothes, her feet aching as she ran. She could see the dark, foreboding forest, and she reached it in a matter of minutes. She threw herself into it, running faster and faster, as branches and holly scratched at her clothes. She found that holes were being made in her shirt and robe from being scratched by the menacing forest.

She paused for breath at a clearing, bending, panting and wiping the sweat that covered her face. She shook her hair free from her eyes, and checked to make sure she still had her wand, portkey and dagger. She did. She looked around; her surroundings were almost hidden by the darkness that consumed the forest. Thick leaves hid the sky from view like a blanket, and Buffy thanked the Powers-that-be that she had slayer vision. She wasn't completely lost in the dark.

"Tired?" A menacing voice said, and Buffy groaned. Appearing from behind the trees were several vampires, and a mixture of demons.

"How about we do this later, guys." Buffy said. "I am really not dressed for it."

"Your problem." One of the vampires said, advancing.

_"Incendio!"_Buffy shouted, aiming her wand at the advancing vampire. The vampire screamed in pain as flames erupted on his clothes, and he disappeared into ash.

Buffy was suddenly attacked from behind, and she was flown forward, losing her wand in the process. Her mouth was full of dirt and leaves as she hit the forest floor, but she spit them out and kicked the vampire in the face, her stiletto heels piercing his cheek. Buffy jumped back up, punching and kicking at vampires and demons as they came at her, trying all the while to get back to her wand.

She managed to acquire a piece of wood, and managed to dust a vampire with it. There was only one more vampire left, and the rest were all demons. She delivered a high spinning kick at one of the demons, cracking his neck and green goo spurting out from its neck. She kicked another one in the chest, sending it flying backwards, and she straddled it, twisting its neck forcefully as she did.

However, she was tired, and because she had not been fighting for a while, she wasn't in the best of shape. So when she had twisted the demons neck, the remaining vampire pulled her upright, holding her arms in a lock from behind. She screamed, knowing it was no use. She kicked and flailed, but the vampire was too strong. She could feel the vampire's head leaning towards her exposed neck, and she screamed as she felt teeth bite into her neck. The vampire sucked her blood hungrily, and Buffy felt herself grow tired. She struggled to hold onto her life, and in once rush of energy, kicked the vampire in the knee, breaking it. She crumpled to the floor, but took out her dagger and thrust it into the last demons' head as it neared her.

The vampire was groaning with pain and Buffy thanked Merlin that she had landed near her wand. She seized it, and said _"Wingardium Leviosa!" _

Her aim was pointed at a large branch next to the vampire, and it floated into the vampire's heart, dusting it. Buffy sighed and unwrapped the portkey, not caring that it might not be far away enough from Voldemort's building. As her head dropped onto the forest floor in exhaustion, she felt a tug behind her navel, and she was whisked away from the forest, her neck bleeding horribly.

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Sorry about the lateness again guys. Work and everything piling on top, but good news! We are close to the end!

As always, thanks for your reviews! It makes me happy :)

phoenix83ad: So I guess it was just a whole big misunderstanding thing, huh? :)

Elsawriter: How about an update? I need one! Please please please update? Pretty pretty please?

Next chapter should be up in a week, I have actually written it which is a good thing. There is major fluff in the next chapter, the only chapter in the story so far that actually ends on a happy note. So I'm proud. I hope you all are too. :)

As always, please review!


	48. All I Want For Christmas

Chapter 48. All I Want For Christmas

Angel hurriedly pulled on some clothes, knocking over his bedside table in his hurry. He raced out of his room and hurried to Dumbledore's office, eager and anxious to tell Dumbledore what he had just seen. He knew that he had just found out one of the curses, and if that had happened, then Buffy must be alive.

He skidded to a halt outside the gargoyle and growled: "Let me in!"

"Password." It said.

"I need to go in now, its urgent!" Angel yelled, getting angrier by the second.

"Password."

"Just let me in!" Angel growled loudly, his face shifting into that of a demon.

The gargoyle swung open, but Dumbledore stood behind it, smiling in an unsurprised way. "I thought that would be you, Angel."

"Buffy's alive!" Angel said loudly. "My memory of the Cassandra's death came back to me. I know one of the curses."

Dumbledore held up his hand calmly, and Angel felt the need to be quiet. He paused, and then said: "I know." Dumbledore smiled.

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Buffy landed on the ground of a park barely conscious, blood streaming from her neck and matting in her hair and clothes. It was raining wherever she had turned up, and the rain mingled with the blood and dampening the rest of her body.

She heard people running towards her, shouts that belonged to Tonks and gruff words of calm that she recognized as Moody. She was shivering now, the cold turning her skin the faintest of blue. She heard Tonks gasp above her, and felt some material go to her neck, stopping the blood from flowing.

"Buffy, stay awake now, y' hear?" Tonks said desperately.

Buffy tried her best to nod, and Moody picked her up in his arms. "Let's take her back." Moody said gruffly, and Tonks nodded, brandishing an old boot. "Touch it now, Buffy." Moody said, almost gently, and Buffy lifted a weak hand, and as one, they all touched the boot.

They were immediately transported to what Buffy remembered as the park near Grimmauld Place. Moody wordlessly carried Buffy as she fought unconsciousness, Tonks hurrying behind them, sometimes tripping up on her robes. Soon, they arrived at the house, the door appearing as Buffy remembered it. She had never been so happy to see that house as she was now. Tonks opened the door for them, after a quick reminder from Moody to not ring the doorbell, and Buffy was brought in from the rain and cold, into the slightly warmer temperature of the Black house.

"Everyone is downstairs." Tonks warned to Moody quietly. Buffy could barely hear her voice. Her skin was turning white from the loss of blood, and the material stopping the blood was drenched with the red liquid.

"Molly and Lupin will be there." Moody said, as if that settled it. Tonks nodded and Moody led the way, Buffy still in his arms. They walked through the door and down the stairs, and the voices and laughter got louder.

"They're having a good time." Buffy commented quietly.

"It's Christmas soon." Tonks said quietly. They neared the doorway, from which loud noise was coming from behind. "Good luck." Tonks whispered, and Buffy managed to muster a smile, as Moody let her down slowly. Buffy legs trembled, from nervousness at facing everyone or from the blood she was loosing…she was not quite sure. But Moody pushed open the door; the hinges creaking from the weight, and Buffy took a deep breath, and with a slight push from Tonks from behind, managed to gingerly step into the kitchen, Moody supporting her from the back.

The voices stopped one by one as the occupants of the room looked towards the door. Buffy could see almost everyone in there, all the Scoobies, Molly and Arthur, Charlie, Giles, Faith, Hermione, Ron, Lupin, Ginny…Harry and Sirius.

Buffy tried to smile, and lifted up her hand in a weak attempt to wave hello. She opened her mouth, but couldn't seem to get the words out. Moody was behind her, holding her upright as the room descended into silence…their expressions of shock evident on their faces.

"Molly, she needs assistance." Moody said, breaking the silence. And, as one, the room came to its senses, and Willow rushed forwards, tears in her eyes, and gave her a hug.

For the next few minutes, Buffy was held in everyone's arms, welcomed home and her dirty cheeks were kissed. Faith was actually crying, something that shocked Buffy to no end and Xander held onto her as if he would never let go.

Finally, she is front of Harry, who was a bit taller than her. His eyes, Lily's eyes, shone with happiness and tears, and Buffy tried to smile. He hugged her tightly, and Buffy cried salty tears that burned its way down her cheeks.

"I think everyone should leave." Molly's voice called out over the excited voices. People groaned, but not many objected and they smiled at Buffy as they left the room. The only one's left were Willow, Giles, Harry, Lupin, Molly and Sirius…Sirius who hadn't moved from his seat the entire time Buffy had been in the room, Sirius whose face was a mixture of emotions that Buffy could not recognize.

Buffy was sat down on one of the chairs, and Molly bustled about, brandishing potions that helped Buffy's condition from seemingly nowhere. Giles tenderly washed the dirt off Buffy's arms and face with a white cloth; it was slowly turning brown and red.

"You cannot give her too many potions." Giles instructed quietly, "Buffy's slayer healing shall need to cope with this alone. She should be almost good as new tomorrow."

Molly nodded, and asked Buffy is she was in any pain. Buffy shook her head, saying no, but her eyes were threatening to close. Lupin saw this, and hurriedly ran upstairs to get a dreamless sleep potion. Buffy's hands were in Giles' and Harry's throughout the entire procedure, Harry was stroking Buffy's matted hair, it seemed that Harry was not mad at her anymore. And Buffy was thankful.

But Buffy's eyes were on Sirius' the entire time, Sirius who had not moved throughout the entire procedure, Sirius who stared at Buffy as if she was a miracle, an angel sent from heaven, Sirius who carried Buffy upstairs to his room when she fell asleep and proceeded to sleep on the uncomfortable wooden chair for the rest of the night, Sirius who, before he fell asleep whispered to Buffy "I love you".

Buffy woke the next morning with aches in her limbs, and a throbbing feeling in her neck. She was warm and comfortable in the bed she lay in, black covers drawn up to her chin. She gingerly lifted a hand up to the side of her neck where she had bitten, and found that it had been patched up. She threw back the covers and yawned, getting out of bed. She smiled as she saw a pile of clean clothes next to the bed on the chair, as well as a towel. She quickly and quietly washed her hair and body, rinsing herself of the blood and dirt that clung to it. She dressed herself in the simple clothes that had been lain out for her, and cautiously removed the bandage on the neck, smiling when she saw that it had almost healed.

Buffy walked down the steps slowly, making her way towards the kitchen, trying to distinguish what time it was. Thankfully, on one of the landings, she bumped into Hermione, who hugged her forcefully.

Buffy giggled, and Hermione let go, smiling. "I'm glad you're back." Hermione said.

"I figured, what with all the rib crushing." Buffy joked, taking the younger girls hand and leading her down the stairs. "What's the time?"

"About eight. Ron and Ginny won't be up for ages, they're both lazy. Harry should be downstairs though." Hermione informed.

"Good." Buffy said as they hurried down to the kitchen. As Hermione had predicted, Harry was there, enjoying toast with Remus, Sirius and Xander. At the sight of her, he pulled her into a hug, like Hermione had. "Happy to see me?" She asked, looking up at him. He grinned, and next to Buffy, Hermione smiled.

"He hasn't smiled for ages." Hermione whispered in Buffy's ear. Buffy grinned and was led over to the table by Harry. She sat next to Xander as he watched the two of them, his eyebrows raised.

"Someone's in a good mood." Xander said.

"My ribs have been crushed twice today, and I've only been awake for an hour." Buffy said. Xander smiled goofily and squeezed her hand.

"We're just glad you're back." He said softly. "I missed the Buffster."

"I missed my Xander shaped friend." Buffy said childishly. "So, what's new with you?"

"I'm a father!" Xander said loudly. "Again." He added after a moment.

"That's great!" Buffy squealed, hugging him.

"Her name is Anne, and she's incredible. Noisy, but incredible." Xander said.

Buffy laughed, and turned to Remus and Sirius, determined not to meet Sirius in the eye. "So what's up with you two?"

Remus glanced at Sirius, who sat back in his chair, his expression unreadable. "Things are fine." Remus said with a sigh. "I'm glad you're back."

Buffy smiled halfheartedly, and cleared her throat. "A-And you, S-Sirius." She stuttered nervously.

Their gazes met, and in that moment, Buffy felt all her old feelings flood back to her. Her breath caught in her throat at the intensity of his eyes, but it was broken as he stood up abruptly. Her face fell as she thought that he was angry, but he said in a soft tone:

"I need to speak with you."

Buffy nodded and followed Sirius wordlessly up the stairs to his room. He was so close to her, she could practically feel sparks between them as they climbed the stairs. She felt herself longing for him, for his lips to be on hers once more, but the memory of what she had done a few months ago came flooding back and she felt her hope dwindle.

Sirius opened the door for her, and Buffy walked in, smiling at his politeness. The door closed and they were left in silence and darkness, the curtains only half drawn. Buffy turned back to Sirius, not quite sure what to say. It seemed that he felt the same way.

"So…this is awkward." Buffy commented absently.

Sirius smiled. "It's a situation I've never been in. I've never had to talk to a woman I was with after she died."

"I'm sorry."

"Why? What you did for Harry was…unbelievable. And apparently, you risk your life for your friends all the time, or so I've heard."

"Yeah, I must stop doing that." Buffy said quietly. Sirius smiled again. "But, that's not I meant."

"I don't want to talk about it." Sirius said sharply. Buffy's face fell. "I don't want to talk about it, because there is nothing to talk about. You did something, which I found incredibly disgusting, because it's Snape for Merlin's sake…but…I'm over it." Sirius said, inching towards her. "I don't care about it. And, this may sound incredibly corny, but I don't care about the kiss, because…all I care about is you. All I want is you."

He was inches apart from her, and Buffy broke into a smile and gently pressed her lips against his. She smiled into the kiss, and they broke apart and Buffy threw her arms around his neck, breathing in his scent, reveling in how comfortable it felt to be with him.

She smiled, and sung softly in his ear: "All I want for Christmas is you."

Sirius looked at her, puzzled. Buffy arched an eyebrow. "All I want for Christmas is you?" She said. "Mariah Carey? Cheesy song for Christmas of which you just quoted? You've never heard of it?!"

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Yay, fluff. The next couple of chapters of happy and fun, and then…well, you'll have to wait and see ;)

The update was quicker, as you can probably tell, and I think (hope) I can update once a week. Also, the chapters are longer, and they're getting longer as we near the end. Which is quite soon.

As always, thank you so much for your reviews! I'm really to know that you still like this and have hung around this long.

Elsawriter: Still waiting for that update!

Please review!


	49. Drunken Distractions

Note: Chapter 12 and 13 has been edited to cut out the prophecy regarding the Marauders. It just does not fit with the story line.

Chapter 49. Drunken Destruction

Christmas at Grimmauld Place passed at a fast pace. For once, Harry experienced a happy Christmas, with not as many deaths and terrible things as usual. It was even better for him because he had his aunt back, who he was not angry with, and who had made up with Sirius. Buffy and Harry had a long talk a couple of days after Buffy came back, and they stayed up the entire night, talking about their lives and experiences. Nothing was held back, Buffy told him everything, including Angel and the death of her real parents and Joyce. She told him about Harry's parents, things that he had never known, and in turn, Harry told her everything about Voldemort, about the prophecy that meant he had to kill him, and about his home life with the Dursley's. Nothing was left out, and they both felt as if they had witnessed each others experiences by the end of it.

Angel arrived soon after Buffy came back, telling everyone of the dream he had, and hugging Buffy so tightly that she couldn't breathe. After a few hours, Hermione had researched the words and found that it meant 'equal light'. She, as well as Ron, still had no idea about the prophecy containing Harry and Voldemort, or the prophecy about the curses. Harry knew however, having been told with Buffy after she came back.

The morning of Christmas day, Buffy woke up early, and was surprised to see Sirius fully dressed and moving around the room they had been sharing. He turned to her when she yawned, and smiled.

"Merry Christmas." He said, capturing her lips in a soft kiss.

"The same to you." Buffy said, smiling.

"I have a present for you." Sirius said, ducking behind the door and disappearing. Buffy smiled, and reached under the bed and collected hers-she had managed to get it when she went to Diagon Alley the day before with Willow.

Sirius returned, carrying something behind his back. "I didn't know what to get you, so I asked Xander."

Buffy grinned, knowing what type of present it would be. Unsurprisingly, Sirius brandished a package in the shape of an axe, wrapped in bright red paper. She laughed, and took it from him, unwrapping it greedily.

"It's pretty useless." Sirius apologized.

"Are you kidding, I love it!" Buffy said, swinging it dangerously. She kissed him, and thanked him once again.

"It more 'Have fun killing things' than 'I love you, merry Christmas' which was more what I was going for." Sirius grinned, and Buffy laughed.

"I think it's perfect." Buffy said.

"It apparently belonged to an old slayer- it's what Giles told me." Sirius commented. "Or it could have belonged to an angry farmer who used it to chase away birds."

Buffy was unable to keep the giddy grin off her face. She quickly gave him her present, dismissing it as silly. But it was a small pendant with a blue stone in the middle. Buffy had asked Willow to perform a protection spell on it, so that as long as Sirius had it on his person, he could never be harmed. Buffy told him this, and he thanked her with a kiss.

"That's not all." Buffy said, smiling. She reached under the covers, and held up a packet of "dog biscuits! For whenever you're feeling a bit hungry."

--------------------

After Buffy got dressed, the pair headed down to the kitchen, gifts held in their arms. There, they met Harry, Ron and Hermione, who were talking excitedly. At the sight of the pair, Harry leapt up and took the presents from her arms, placing them on the table.

"These presents aren't for you Harry." Buffy said. "I forgot about you, I'm sorry." Buffy joked, and Harry grinned.

"So I won't bother to give you your present, shall I?" Harry said.

"You don't have to be so mean." Buffy said, pouting. She laughed, and kissed Harry on the cheek, whispering "Merry Christmas" in his ear.

"Here." Harry said, giving her a small box when they separated. Buffy opened it and gasped. Inside the box was a matching necklace to the one Harry wore around his neck-the one Buffy had given him when he was a little child. "It took me ages to get it right." Buffy smiled and asked Harry to fasten on the chain, with a small 'B' pendant.

"It's perfect." Buffy said, hugging him. "Thank you so much. And now for my turn."

She picked up a small box from the pile and gave it to Harry, saying quietly: "It's Lily's engagement ring. I know you won't wear it, but one day, you can make a girl happy like James did to Lily and give her this ring." Buffy said, and Harry's eyes lit up as he opened the box, revealing a gold band with a small diamond in it. "Give it to the right girl." Buffy advised, and Harry grinned.

"I will." Harry commented, smiling and heading back to the table. Buffy watched as he showed Hermione the ring, and she grinned secretly to herself.

"What are you smiling about?" Sirius asked, his arms circling Buffy from behind.

"Nothing." Buffy sighed, leaning back. Sirius followed her gaze, where Hermione, Harry and Ron were laughing.

"What's so funny about them?"

Buffy grinned and turned around in his arms. "Nothing." She said.

"But-"She cut him off, kissing him lightly on the lips. They separated, and Sirius frowned. "I hate it when you do that."

"But you did it first." Buffy said, and Sirius grinned, kissing her again.

"Woah, B, enough, I don't wanna see you guys makin' out ok? I'm about to have breakfast." Faith said breezily and sitting down at the table and eyeing all the presents. Following her were the rest of the Weasley's, including Molly whose eyes were red from crying. Buffy did not say anything, but detached herself from Sirius and hugged Molly tightly, knowing how hard it must be for her for Percy to not be talking to them.

"I sent him a jumper." Molly said tearfully. "And he hasn't sent it back, but he hasn't sent a card or a thank you or anything." She said, and Buffy listened, squeezing Molly's hand comfortingly.

Almost on queue, Lupin entered the room, holding a letter. It was addressed to Molly Weasley, and Molly gasped as she saw the handwriting. "It's from Percy." She announced, and Ron and Ginny glared at the letter, as if it were their brother himself. "I'm going to read it upstairs." Molly said, leaving the room.

"Bastard." Ron muttered, but his angry word was heard in the room.

"Ron! That's your brother you're talking about." Hermione said, shocked.

"He's a bloody prat, Hermione." Ginny said, playing with wrapping paper idly. "I wish he would just leave our family alone."

Hermione looked to Harry, for some kind of support, but Harry just stared at the table, not wanting to get into the fight. Hermione huffed angrily, and turned to Ron.

"Well, what if that letter says that Percy is sorry, and that he wants to come back. Won't you be happy?"

"No, I'll give him a kick up the arse and send him to hell." Ron said gruffly.

"Seconded." Ginny said grinning at Ron and Charlie.

"Well, I think you are all being perfectly unreasonable." Hermione said angrily.

"Good job I don't care what you think." Ron countered, glaring at Hermione.

"Shut it, the both of you." Harry said quietly, interfering before the argument got out of hand. Harry fished underneath the stack of presents for something, while Hermione and Ron glared at each other over Harry's messy hair. Harry emerged from the present pile, and chucked at box at Ron. "Eat it." He said, as Ron glanced at the box of Chocolate Frogs.

"You can't shut me up with these." Said Ron.

"It normally works." Hermione said under her breath. Ron proceeded to glare at her, but ate it anyway.

-----------------------------------

By mid afternoon, Hermione and Ron had gotten over their fight, and were happily sharing chocolate together on the couch in the living room. They had had a large lunch which Molly had cooked up, and the Scoobies and many members of the Order had joined them.

Molly was in happy spirits all day, as the letter Percy had sent was an invitation to his wedding to Penelope Clearwater in June. It was not a letter of apology, but the fact that he had decided to invite the entire family to the wedding was a great starting point.

By early evening, everyone was in high spirits and most people were drunk, most of all Spike and Sirius who had, against Buffy's wish, drunk as much as they possibly could. It was strange for Buffy that Spike and Sirius got on so well, while Angel's looks at Sirius held with nothing more than contempt. Out of all the people that Buffy could wish Sirius to get along with, Spike was the last person that she wanted. To make matters even worse and even funnier, Xander soon joined the two men's drinking binge and proceeded to act like idiots for the rest of the evening, even though Xander's drinking was considerably less than the other two's. Despite Sirius' state, Buffy had to admit that she was enjoying herself and Buffy, as well as the rest of the guests, enjoyed the two drunken men's imitations of various members of the group, and she could not stop laughing when Spike had done an impression of Giles.

The afternoon was full of laughter from Spike's imitations, to when Remus pretended to dance with a broomstick, to Harry's shocked and blushing face when Tara pointed out that he and Hermione were standing under a piece of mistletoe. Harry had asked Hermione not to cry when he kissed her, and Hermione grinned as Harry quickly pecked her on the cheek and proceeded to hide behind Remus as he turned a shade of a beetroot.

However, parties had to end, and by early morning on Boxing Day, everyone turned in to bed, except for the Scoobies, who stayed up and talked in the kitchen. Buffy had not had a chance to talk to them properly since she had come back, and they felt now was the time to do it. It was awkward at first, but Giles prompted the questions, and Buffy had no problem answering them. She told them of where she was while she was dead. She did not remember much of it, but she had talked to Sirius earlier about it, and had finally come to the conclusion that she had been in the same dimension Sirius had when he had died.

She told them of her escape, and of Snape, who had turned up at the Order thoroughly tortured and beaten. However, Voldemort did not know it was him who had helped Buffy, as many Death Eaters had the same treatment. Buffy could not stop thanking him for helping her, and even Sirius could manage a small thank you, heartfelt, but clearly not happy about it.

They discussed the prophecy, and told her of Darla's return. Buffy had decided not to voice her feelings on the vampire who had sired Angel and who had tried to kill them many years ago, because she knew that Darla was important to them in finding out the curse. Buffy told Giles of the man called Rack, a powerful Wicca who had brought her back, and Tara had informed them that she had heard of him. He was one of the most powerful and darkest users of magic and he would be incredibly dangerous. Even Willow would not be able to face him and come out of the fight unhurt. They all agreed that with Rack on his side, Voldemort was getting even more powerful.

It was then that Faith decided to tell them about the Mayor, and about how he had visited her a month ago. She had been keeping it secret, but she felt it was the time to tell them. At first, Willow and Xander were angry about her keeping it from them, but after a few minutes, they calmed down, and Willow asked the question that Buffy had on her mind. Will he ascend again?

"No." Giles said firmly, taking his glasses out of his breast pocket and inspecting them. "I don't imagine he will. There was a certain time he could ascend, and that time has passed. I imagine he is now a demon, like before."

"Is he still indestructible?" Buffy asked. "I mean, Giles, you put a sword through his chest and he just took it right out like it was nothing."

"He became indestructible to prepare for the Ascension." Willow said, looking to Giles for conformation.

"That's right. I imagine he is now just a demon that can be killed. Normally."

Buffy glanced at Faith, who was staring at her hands on the wooden table, purposefully avoiding eye contact. Buffy sighed, she knew that Faith had been attached to the Mayor, despite his evilness, and she knew it would be hard for Faith to see him dead.

"Faith, we will have to kill him." Xander said softly, latching on to Buffy's concern. Buffy smiled thankfully at him, glad that he had brought up the subject.

"But technically, he's not doing any harm, right?" Anya said, gently rocking Anne in her arms. "He's just a demon, sitting there with Voldemort, doing nothing. We don't have to kill him."

"But he's still a demon Anya." Tara argued.

"So? Demon's can be valuable members of society." Anya said proudly.

"I know An', but I doubt the Mayor is looking to give back to the community of Sunnydale any time soon." Xander said.

"He's just a demon." Spike said, half asleep. "We let him be. We don't go lookin' for him, and he don't come for us. Problem solved."

"We're not going to go looking for him Spike." Buffy said. "But if the time comes..." She broke off, and looked at Faith, who had remained silent throughout the entire conversation. "You have to be ok if we kill him. Can you do that, can you be ok?"

Faith shrugged. "I don't know why y'all arguing for. He's a demon. He's a bastard. If you wanna kill him, then that's cool. I'm five-"

"By five." Buffy finished, grinning. "But it may not come to that, I just wanna let you know that if it does-"

"Hey B, chill ok? Don't get worked up about this. It's no big deal. Jus' treat the Mayor like you would any other demon. Kick his ass. And y'know what, I think I might jus' join you wit' that, ok?"

"Ok." Buffy said, grinning.

"So, are we done? I got a bed with my name on it upstairs." Faith said, standing up.

"We're done." Giles said, stretching in his seat. "Good night everybody."

"Merry Christmas." Buffy said cheerfully, and Faith scowled behind her.

"Would you stop with the Christmas cheer? It's making me sick."

Buffy grinned, and bade everyone good night; heading upstairs where she knew Sirius would be sound asleep. She was right; he was sprawled across the bed, his right arm draped across the pillow. Buffy rolled her eyes and changed into her pajamas and debated how to get into the bed.

Sirius mumbled something in his sleep and moved to the right of the bed: Buffy's side. Buffy rolled her eyes once more and gave him a shove over to the other side of the bed, where he tottered dangerously over the edge. Buffy giggled and pulled his body towards her, away from danger and settled on the bed. "It's your fault you stupid drunken prat." Buffy whispered to him as he moaned again in his sleep. Buffy grinned as she got an idea. "Go on Sirius, chase the rabbit. Chase the rabbit like a good dog, chase the little rabbit." She found herself saying, and a smile grew on Sirius' lips.

"What are you bloody well saying?" He asked, opening an eye.

"Nothing." Buffy lied, smiling and snuggling up to him. "Good night."

---------------

elsawriter: New story?! Oh, cool. Post that and an update for redeemed soon, ok? Am I being pushy? Hm...don't care, update!

Draco's Slytherin Vampiress: There is going to be no talk about what happened. Snape and Buffy just wanna forget about what happened.

More fluff ï...well that was the last chapter of Christmas fluff because the next one goes back to the story line. As always, thank you so much for the reviews! Not long to wait for the end I think! Yahey!

Anyway, that's it for now, please review!


	50. Ministry Mayhem

Chapter 50. Ministry Mayhem

Two days after the turn of the year, Harry woke up later than usual. He lay awake in bed for a few minutes, staring at the ceiling, until he reached for his glasses that lay on the table next to his bed. He glanced over at Ron's bed which was empty, but it had not been made yet. He glanced at his watch, knowing that if Ron was awake before him, he must have slept late. It was eleven in the morning, and he yawned, opening the door, heading out into the hall.

"Oh, Harry!" Hermione said, seeing him in the hallway. "Good morning." She said, somewhat flustered.

"Slept late." Harry explained, and Hermione grinned, looking at his messy bed clothes.

"I can see. Cute top by the way."

"What?" Harry asked, confused and he looked down at his t-shirt.

"I never knew you liked Power Rangers." She said, laughing.

"It's not mine, its Dudley's." Harry said, blushing.

"Uh-huh." Hermione said knowingly.

Harry looked at her curiously, and stopped her in the hall. "What's gotten you all happy?"

"I can't be happy?" Hermione asked, but the grin was not wiped off her face.

Harry furrowed his eyebrows, and shrugged. "What's going on?"

Hermione squealed and took his hand, leading him down the stairs. "Oh, it's so wonderful Harry, you'll see."

Harry smiled at her giddiness, trying to ignore the odd feeling that was rising in him as he looked at her hand clasped in his. Hermione led him down the stairs and into the kitchen, where various members of the Order and the Scoobies were sitting. Hermione reached for the Daily Prophet on the table and threw it into Harry's hands, watching him as he read the headline.

_**Minister of Magic resigns after mounting pressure**_

_Late last night, it was announced that Cornelius Fudge, the minister of Magic, has decided to resign after pressure starting to build on him after the return of You-know-who. Aurors and various members of the ministry felt that Fudge was not doing enough to deal with the amount of attacks that has risen over the past couple of months. _

_In a statement released yesterday, Fudge had this to say:_

"_I am very sorry for what I have and have not done, but I feel that it is my duty to step down as Minister and let someone else take my position, who will handle with the return of You-know-who appropriately."_

_Members of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement will be elected for the position of Minister of Magic, and a vote will be taken tomorrow afternoon among the Wizengamot. Favorites for the position are recently reinstated Chief Warlock of Wizengamot, Albus Dumbledore, and the head of the department and a member of the Wizengamot, Amelia Bones. Candidates will be making public speeches in the Conference Hall in the Ministry of Magic headquarters, in London tomorrow morning before the vote. _

Harry finished the article with a wide look of disbelief. Hermione was still watching him as he threw the paper back on the table, and gawped at Hermione. "This is...this is-"

"Brilliant!" Hermione said happily. "I've been waiting for Fudge to step down for ages, and now that it's finally happened-it's brilliant Harry! Now we can finally get a Minister who knows what he is actually talking about, and who will deal with V-Voldemort properly. And the fact that the favourites for Minister are Dumbledore and Amelia Bones-do you remember, the woman who interrogated you for your hearing last year? Well, she's wonderful, Tonks has been telling me how she's getting Aurors organized and everything, and Susan her niece has talked about her too and she thinks she's be a brilliant Minister, even if the opinion is slightly biased-"

"Whoa, Hermione." Harry said, placing his hands on her shoulders. "Breathe."

"Finally you stopped her!" Faith groaned. "I thought she was gonna go on forever!"

"She's like a little wind up toy." Buffy said, pretending to wind something up. "You wind it up, let it go and it goes really really fast until it...stops."

"Great comparison B." Faith said dryly.

"Thought it up myself." Buffy shot back.

"So are we going?" Harry asked.

"Going where?"

"To the Ministry of Magic tomorrow morning. The candidates are going to make speeches there." Harry explained.

"I never knew you so into politics." Ron said, raising an eyebrow.

"He's not, but I think it's a good idea." Hermione defended. "We'll have a chance to see who will be running the country; I think we should definitely go."

Buffy glanced at Molly, shrugging. "Well, I'm cool for Harry and Hermione to go, but I'm definitely going with them."

"Can we go too Mum? Please?" Ginny begged, and Molly looked unsurely at her two youngest children.

"I don't know." She said, placing her hands on her hips.

"But Mum, why not?" Ron asked, in a whining tone.

Molly huffed, "because it could be dangerous."

"We'll be in the ministry of Magic, how dangerous can it be?" Ginny asked.

Lupin coughed behind his hand. "May I remind you of the trip you took last year to the Ministry of Magic?"

Ginny sighed and mirrored her mother's gesture; she put her hands on her hips. "There'll be Aurors there, and Buffy will be there-"

"I'll come as well." Willow said quietly. "Keep an eye on you guys."

Molly bit her lip, undecided. "We'll see."

Ginny huffed, and sat sulkily in her chair. "You mean, no."

"I talk to your father about it, and if I hear another word from you Ginevra, you will not be going!" Molly shouted angrily, banging her hand on the table.

Hermione grinned shyly at Harry, both thinking that they did not want to get in the middle of a Weasley family squabble. Hermione edged closer to him and whispered in his ear:

"As much as I think you look adorable in your Power Ranger pajamas, I think you should go change." She said, her breath blowing his already messy hair out of place. Harry grinned and ducked out of the kitchen but before he left, he glanced back at Hermione and felt the odd feeling once again rising inside of him.

---------------

After a heated discussion the following evening between Molly and Arthur Weasley, Ginny and Ron finally had permission to hear the speeches. However, Molly requested that Buffy, Faith, and other adults go with the children. By mid morning, Buffy, Arthur, Lupin, Willow and Tonks were lining up to accompany the younger ones to the conference.

"I don't see why we need so many people coming with us." Ginny complained.

"It's to keep you safe. Besides, we all wanna come too." Buffy explained.

"We're not babies." Ginny said, pouting.

"Then stop acting like one." Charlie snapped, annoyed by Ginny's complaining.

"Shall we go?" Arthur interrupted loudly, before another fight could start. "I will go first." He announced, and turned into the fire. He threw a pinch of floo powder on it, turning it green and stepped into the fire, saying loudly and clearly "The Ministry of Magic in London!" With a whoosh, Arthur disappeared.

One by one, the witches and wizards left, but Buffy stayed behind as she was the last one to go. She wanted to say good bye to Sirius, who was staying behind.

"Are you sure you're ok with this?" She asked, her arms around his neck.

"If I wasn't, I wouldn't be able to do anything about it. But it's alright, honestly." He said, kissing her softly.

"I wish you could come, I feel so guilty." She mumbled against his lips.

"It's only for a day, its not going to harm me." Sirius said, burying his face in her hair.

"I'm sorry."

He laughed and pushed her towards the fireplace. "Honestly Buffy, its fine. Now go. Go." He repeated when she didn't do anything.

Buffy sighed and threw her floo powder on the fire, turning it green. "I love you." She said, turning back to Sirius. "The Ministry of Magic, London!" She shouted clearly a grin on her face at the shocked and happy look on Sirius' face.

---------------------

Harry glanced around the Atrium of the Ministry of Magic. Everywhere witches and wizards were arriving from the fireplaces, and crowding around the large golden gates and the security stand. Harry was pleased to see the fountain had been fixed, as the last time he had been here, last June, the fountain had broken. He peered past the fountain, remembering where Voldemort had possessed him, had asked Dumbledore to kill him and Harry. The pain in his scar had been terrible, it was a pain worse than death, and Harry wondered if he could ever face Voldemort without feeling pain from his scar.

"Everyone's come to see it." Arthur commented, coming to stand next to Harry.

"The speeches?"

"Yes."

"Will it be Dumbledore?"

"I doubt it." Arthur said, gesturing for the others to follow him. They joined the long queue to the security stand. "Even if he was voted Minister, he would not accept it. He loves his position at Hogwarts too much, nothing could persuade him to give it up. His support lies with Madam Bones. I predict she will be the next Minister for Magic."

Harry nodded as he listened, and Harry hoped that Madam Bones would not be like Fudge and do nothing about Voldemort. But he had a large suspicion that she would not act like Fudge, and the attacks would lessen. As Arthur turned to talk to Lupin, Ron, Ginny and Hermione joined Harry as they processed down the queue. They all gave their wands to their security guard, but he did not ask too many questions when Willow said she did not have one.

They headed into the lifts which were filled with people. Harry found himself squashed in between Hermione and a tall man with purple hair hidden by a blue wizard cap. Buffy and Ginny were lost in the middle of several tall men and women, and Harry could see Buffy roll her eyes in annoyance through the gaps of people.

Only a small number of people got off on the different levels, but at each level, more got on so the lift was becoming even more squashed. Harry's face was now inches away from Hermione's, and a large empty wire cage was digging into his upper back.

"This is comfortable." Hermione whispered.

Harry grinned. "I'm sorry about this."

"It's alright." She said quietly, glancing back at him. "I don't mind."

The lift stopped once again, and several people sighed in relief. Harry pushed his way out of the lift and waited patiently for the rest of his group. Ron gasped his face red. "It was bloody boiling in there."

"I know." Hermione said quietly.

"Shall we go?" Buffy asked, and Arthur led them to it, crowds piling into the large conference hall.

It was air conditioned, thankfully, and the ceiling was a sparkling white, with large wooden beams across it. There were large windows which showed a fake view of London, and long blue curtains. At the end of the hall were two doors, and in between it was a large stage, with dozens of chairs on it. Witches and wizards were milling around the hall, chairs, beanbags and mats placed in random areas of the hall. Ginny and Buffy immediately headed for an area with beanbags and sat down in them, the rest of the group following momentarily. They settled themselves in quite comfortably, and when Arthur announced that the conference would not start for another twenty minutes, Harry started to talk to Hermione and Ron.

It was then that he heard a voice call his name and Ron's, and the two boys turned around, seeing Neville hurry up to them

"You alright Harry, Ron?" Neville asked, his face shining brightly. "Oh, hello Hermione, did you have a nice Christmas?"

Hermione smiled and stood up, and Ginny soon joined the four of them.

"Are you here to see the speeches?" Ron asked, and Neville nodded.

"My gran wants to see them. She said Fudge was an idiot and she's rooting for Madam Bones. What about you?"

"We want Madam Bones as well." Ginny said enthusiastically, and to Harry and Ron's surprise, Neville blushed at Ginny's attention.

"Where is your grandmother?" Hermione asked, and Neville turned from them and pointed to a woman in green robes and a hat with a large vulture on it.

"She's talking to somebody about something. I didn't want to interrupt them." Neville admitted.

"Luna's here?" Ginny asked interestedly.

"Hello." Hermione let out a shriek of fright and Harry and Ron both jumped as Luna appeared next to Neville, a bored look on her face.

"Hi, Luna." Ginny said, trying to catch her breath after Luna's sudden appearance.

"Nice day today isn't it?" She said dazedly.

"It's raining outside Luna." Ron said, trying to stop laughing at the sight of her earrings-butterbeer corks.

"Hello Ronald, how was your Christmas?" Luna asked pointedly.

"F-fine." Ron said nervously. "Yours?"

"It was wonderful. My father and I went looking for-"

But what Luna had gone looking for, Harry never found out, because in the next moment, Luna and Neville had been rudely pushed aside by two men and a short blonde haired woman, dressed in shockingly bright magenta robes and wearing jeweled spectacles.

Harry groaned. "What do you want?"

Rita Skeeter smiled and quickly took out a Quick Quotes Quill and a wad of parchment that floated in the air. "Harry Potter, here with friends? How is your Christmas going? Work at school tying you down? Are you worried about the return of You-know-who, the wizard who killed your parents?"

Harry blinked, not used to having been asked so many questions in such a short space of time.

"He has no time for questions." Hermione said angrily, stepping in front of Harry.

"You." Rita said coldly, and Hermione smiled.

"Yes, me. And I'm telling you he has no time for questions."

"And how has your relationship with Harry progressed over the years? Are you still friends, or is there that burning desire for more?"

Hermione grounded her teeth, and placed her hands on her hips. "Even if I did have feelings for Harry, it would not be your business."

"Ah, so you do not deny you have feelings for your best friend. Tell me the details girl, is he a good kisser?"

"I do not have feelings for Harry!" Hermione said loudly.

"So, Harry. How do you feel now that You-know-who is back?" Rita asked, the Quick Quotes Quill writing at astonishing speed.

"How do you think I feel?" He asked coldly.

"I don't know Harry, you tell me." She said persistently, her eyelashes fluttering. When Harry did not answer, Rita tried another question. "Harry, I heard that you were in this very building last June, fighting alone with You-know-who and his Death Eaters. How did that feel?"

"He wasn't alone!" Ron burst in loudly, something akin to jealousy on his face.

Rita glanced at him uninterestedly. "And you are?"

"R-Ron Weasley." Ron stammered, wishing that he had not said anything. Next to Rita, the photographers took pictures, and because of all the noise, people were starting stare at them.

"So, Russ, how does it feel to be the famous Harry Potter's best friend?"

"Um, fine." Ron said quietly.

"His name is Ronald." Luna butted in angrily, but Rita ignored her. The photographer took more pictures, and Harry was being blinded by the flash.

"Do you ever feel overshadowed by your best friend?"

"Uh, sometimes." He stammered, his face turning red.

"When? Was it during the Triwizard Tournament?" Rita asked interested.

"That's enough." Hermione said loudly, stopping Ron from going any further. "Can you please-"

Rita smiled at Hermione like a crocodile, "whose friendship do you value most, Harry's or Russ'?"

"I like them both the same, and his name is Ron, not Russ." Hermione said angrily.

"Are these boys the dominant males in your life? Who do you feel you will become romantically involved with, Harry or Ron?" Rita shot back. Around them, people were pointing and whispering.

"Harry an-"

"So you are saying you have feelings for Harry?" Rita said, her quill working double the normal speed.

"No, I-"Hermione said flustered.

"Would you rather have both of them, at the same time?"

"What is going on here?" Buffy said, stepping in front of Hermione, looking up at Rita.

"Who are you?" Rita asked coldly, looking down at Buffy.

"The tooth fairy." Buffy said, glancing at the parchment and the Quill writing. "You're Rita Skeeter."

"You've heard of me." Rita said proudly, beaming.

"That's not a good thing." Buffy said coolly. "That yours?" She asked, nodding to the parchment. Rita nodded. Buffy grinned and snatched the parchment from out of the air, reading it with a grin on her face. "Interesting. Very interesting." She looked up to Rita, and much to the reporter's horror, ripped up the parchment into halves, quarters then eights. Behind her, Hermione and Ginny giggled at the growing look of horror on Rita's face.

"You-you." Rita spluttered, her face turning red.

"You don't have to thank me." Buffy said coolly. "Now leave us alone." She said glaring at the reporter.

Rita's mouth opened one or two times, but no words came out. Finally, she huffed, glared at the ripped up pieces of parchment in Buffy's hands and left the group, her men following her.

"Thanks Buffy." Harry said, and Buffy shrugged.

"Here, a late Christmas present." She said, giving the parchment to Harry and returning to Willow.

"I never should have lifted the ban on her writing." Hermione said angrily, glaring at Rita Skeeter as she harassed an Auror. The crowd that had grown around them was starting to disperse and Harry sighed and turned his back on those who were staring and pointing at his scar.

"Too late now." Harry said.

At that moment, a woman with a large vulture on her hat strode up to the group, and Neville winced. "Hello Mr. Potter." She said, extending her long fingered for him to shake. "Ah yes, the Weasley's, I have met you before. Miss Granger, hello, and you I do not know." Mrs. Longbottom said very haughtily, turning to Luna.

"Her name's Luna Lovegood, gran." Neville said quietly, and Mrs. Longbottom nodded and extended her hand for Luna to shake. Luna did, looking thoroughly bored by all the greetings.

"Are you all staying till the afternoon?" Mrs. Longbottom asked. "Neville and I are, I must say I am rather glad that Fudge has quit. He was an idiot." She said, tipping the side of her large hat. Luna could not stop staring at the large vulture on it, and Harry had a sinking feeling that she was going to say something inappropriate.

"I have a hat like that." Luna said, and Mrs. Longbottom glanced at her curiously. "Except, it's got a lion on it and it roars sometimes. I got it for the Gryffindor matches when Ronald joined the team." Luna said dazedly.

"Yes, that's very nice dear." Mrs. Longbottom said briskly, dismissing Luna and turning to the rest of them. "Well, I see Arthur. I shall go and talk to him, behave yourself Neville." She warned and walked through the group towards Arthur and Remus.

Harry and his friends settled themselves on the beanbags, talking casually about their holiday with Neville and Luna. However, after a few minutes, the conference started and all talk was stopped. There were five candidates altogether, and each one gave a speech. As Arthur had predicted, Dumbledore expressed his support for Madam Bones and his wish to stay in Hogwarts.

After half an hour, Harry got bored and looked over to see that the others, save Hermione were feeling the same way. They started to read magazines and eat chocolate as the speeches went on and questions were asked by the press and Wizengamot. Hermione was still paying attention, and Harry idly wondered how she could be so interested in it. Yes, he was interested in who the Minister for Magic could be, but as long as it was not someone who would spread rumors and deny the return of Voldemort and actually do something about it, Harry was not particularly bothered.

By mid afternoon, the speeches had stopped and the Wizengamot were discussing and voting who would be the new Minister for Magic. Harry could see Rita reading over her notes that she had made while the speeches had been made, and he saw Buffy looking almost as bored as he was. She smiled at him, but before he could make his way over to her, the Wizengamot filed into the room and a member of the Wizengamot who was not a candidate of Minister of Magic stepped onto the platform, a piece of parchment in his hands. He cleared his throat, and silence descended in the hall.

"We are pleased to announce that the new Minister for Magic will be Amelia Susan Bones."

------------------------

elementair: I'm so glad you like it! 2 hours?! Wow, thanks. As for Harry getting a girlfriend-I'm not sure to be honest. There are clues to what he's feeling to a certain girl from around now to the end of the story, but I doubt I'll expand on it. But if there is time for some romance on Harry's part, I will definitely find time to fit a kiss or two in ;)

elsawriter: Hm, weekend come and gone and still no update! Lol. A new fic you say?! Oo, can't wait to read that, lol. Just update and I'll be happy. DON'T abandon the story, otherwise I'll scream. Lol. Yeah, I love Christmas stuff. Christmas is normally very fluffy so I was keeping a fluffly Christmas. But unfortunately, that was it, because now, as we're getting to the end of the story, things get harder and darker and the chapters get longer.

Anyway, thanks for the reviews, as usual. I do appreciate them, so do send your comments through a review or email if you have anything to say!

So yeah, long chapter, hence the long wait. Next couple of chapters are long as well, around 15 pages, so look forward to that! Oh yeah, and its getting darker and more angsty and generally the opposite of fluff, so look forward to that too! :)

Anyway, hope you enjoyed the long chapter, and if so, review! And if not, tell me why!


	51. The Quidditch Match

Attention Some strong language ahead!

Chapter 51. The Quidditch Match.

Amelia Bones got to work straight away. Talks were arranged between goblins and the Ministry, a powerful werewolf who was trying to stir up trouble was talked to and Aurors were sent out every night to patrol places that were in danger of being attacked. The number of attacks was fast declining, both muggle and magical; however a gruesome one marred the beginning of Susan's Bones reign. The news of an attack on the Creeveys that left Dennis and his father dead, but Colin alive was what everyone was talking about two days before Harry returned to Hogwarts.

Even though Harry had not known Dennis well, he knew that Dennis and Colin had been enthusiastic fans of his, and valuable members of the DA and Gryffindor. The night Harry returned to Hogwarts, a speech was said for Dennis and his father, and a few moments of silence was held in remembrance for them. Colin avoided eye contact throughout dinner, and was very silent in the common room afterwards.

Two weeks after returning to Hogwarts was the scheduled Gryffindor against Slytherin Quidditch match. Harry had been training his team as much as he could for the past fortnight for the game, and he wanted the outcome of this game to be better than the last they played against Slytherin, which had gotten Harry a life time ban of Quidditch.

The Scoobies and Sirius had gone to Hogwarts with Harry, feeling it was better to be there than stuck in Grimmauld Place for another couple of weeks. Lupin was teaching again, and Willow and Tara were working on how to release Angel's memories of the curse.

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It was early on a bright, crisp morning that Hermione woke and quickly showered, remembering that it was the Quidditch match that day. However, she had a meeting with Draco that morning before breakfast, to talk and to go over the last lesson of Arithmancy they had together.

Hermione quickly hurried down the stairs to the Gryffindor common room and almost made it out when a voice rang clearly in the room.

"Where are you going?"

Hermione turned around to see Harry holding his broom in the middle of the common room. Ron came down the stairs dressed in his Quidditch robes and holding his broom and glanced curiously between Harry and Hermione.

"The library." Hermione said, not lying but a guilty feeling rose inside her.

"What about breakfast?" Ron asked.

"It's a bit early don't you think?" Hermione said, smiling. "I'll be there soon; I just need to see someone."

Ron's face darkened, "see someone?" He spat, and Hermione nodded, looking straight at him coldly.

"Is there a problem?" Without waiting for an answer, she said "good" and left the common room.

Harry and Ron stared at the portrait door as it swung closed, and Ron awkwardly cleared his throat and turned to his best friend. "Harry, there's something I think you should know. It's about Hermione…"

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Hermione hurried into the library, wishing that she could tell her friends the truth, but knowing the reactions her friends would have.

"_Malfoy? Are you bloody stupid? Have you been dropped on your head and lost all kinds of sense?" _

"_Malfoy? Don't you remember what he's done to you-to us for the past six years?" _

Hermione winced; Ron's reaction would definitely be worse and louder than Harry's, but Hermione found herself caring more what Harry would think then Ron. Harry's hatred for Draco ran deeper than Ron's did and was more personal, and Hermione could only imagine the hurt he would feel if she told him that Draco and she were friends.

Hermione spotted Draco's white blonde hair at a hidden table and sat next to him, the guilty feeling still inside her. He looked up at her as she sat down with a look in his eyes that she could not distinguish, but it unnerved her.

"Have a good sleep?" He asked the same look in his eyes.

"Yes." She said uncomfortably.

"It's the match today." She nodded. "I guess you'll be rooting for Gryffindor."

"Obviously." She scoffed.

"I can't expect anything else from you." He shrugged, turning back to his books, his quill poised to write something. His hand made a movement, and Hermione thought he was going to write, but he looked up at her again. "Well, there is something you can do for me."

"Oh?" Hermione asked curiously, uncomfortable with the look in his eyes.

"Meet me tonight in the Astronomy towers at nine."

"Why?"

He grinned and said quietly, "I have something I want to tell you."

"C-can you not tell me now? I might not be able to get away." Hermione stuttered.

"Try." He said sharply, and looked her up and down. It was unsettling. "I have to go." He said sharply, picking up his books. "Breakfast calls."

"Good luck for the game." Hermione called out as he walked away, books tucked under his right arm. He gestured good bye with his left hand and disappeared behind the stacks. Hermione let out a breath she had not been aware she was holding. For some strange reason, she was feeling more comfortable with him gone.

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Harry angrily stabbed at the sausage on his plate, imagining Draco Malfoy's face where he had stabbed. Ron had told him what he had seen several months ago in the library-Hermione kissing Draco. Not only did it hurt him to realize that Hermione had been lying to him for six months, but she had been with Malfoy…doing Merlin knows what behind his back.

He felt betrayed, angry and most of all hurt that Hermione had done this and kept it hidden from him. For years, Malfoy had bullied Harry, Ron and Hermione, but Hermione was willing to look past that and kiss…

Harry could not even think it without gagging, his mind was conjuring up mental images of the two of them kissing, touching even talking civilly and he wished that it would all go away. He wished that he could eradicate all those images, but they kept coming back and he kept seeing them, the images haunting him, every time he closed his eyes and opened them.

And then he saw him, Malfoy, strutting into the Great Hall as if he owned it, his white blonde hair shining in the sun, and Harry rose abruptly, ready to wipe that smirk off his face.

"Harry, no!" Ron said, pushing him back down into his seat. "I know exactly what your thinking and I'll love to punch the bugger's face in too, but let's save it till later. We can beat the bastard in the game today." Ron said, glaring angrily as Draco sat down at the Slytherin table with his buddies.

"I'll kick his fucking arse." Harry said hoarsely, stabbing at the sausage.

"Harry, language." A voice said behind him, but Harry did not acknowledge it. Hermione sat next to Harry, looking curiously at him. "What's wrong?" She asked as Harry continued to stare at the plate. Then she noticed that Ron was acting the same way. "Ron? Harry? What's going on? Talk to me."

Harry glared at her, a look so powerful in emotion that Hermione cowered. "Why don't you talk to Malfoy? Apparently you've been doing that a lot lately."

Hermione's face drained of colour, and she stared guiltily into Harry's eyes. "So you know we're friends." She said quietly.

"Friends?" Ron spat angrily, turning to face her. "I saw you kissing him last year!" He hissed, and Ginny, seated next to her older brother, glanced at the trio.

"So you were spying on me?" Hermione asked furiously.

"It doesn't matter if he was spying on you or not Hermione." Harry said slowly and coldly, his voice deep and full of hatred and anger. "The fact is, you betrayed us. You went behind our backs and lied to us-to me about befriending our enemy."

"It's not like he's Voldemort." Hermione hissed.

"He's a Death Eater Hermione, and before you say he isn't, I'm telling you he is." Harry said coldly. "Now the sooner you figure that out and stop being so damn stupid, the better." Harry said, grabbing his broomstick off the floor and stalking out of the Great Hall, dismissing Luna coldly as she came up to him to show off her lion hat.

He stomped angrily out of the castle and into the brilliant sunshine, the cold biting his face. He groaned as he looked up to the sky-there was not a cloud in sight. The sun was going to provide him with horrible vision.

He could hear loud footsteps behind him, but Harry kept his back facing the door.

"If you think you can just go off like that, shouting at me like that…I'll have you know Harry…you can't!" Hermione said, walking in front of him, her eyes red, tears streaming down her face.

"Leave me alone." Harry said turning away from her.

"No!" Hermione shouted, grabbing his arm and forcing him to look at her. "Don't be like this! I never meant for you to find out this way!"

"So when was the time, huh? When you decided to join Voldemort's side? When you decided to kill me and Ron?"

Hermione gasped and pressed her hand to her mouth, tears flowing freely from her eyes. Harry winced and knew he had gone too far. "If you think-"Hermione said tearfully, pointing a finger at Harry, her hand shaking. "If you think that I would go so _low _to betray my _best friends_, well then you obviously don't know me Harry Potter."

"I'm sorry Hermione." Harry apologized, stopping Hermione as she walked away from him. Harry grabbed her arm and stopped her from leaving, but she didn't look at him. "That was stupid of me, but the whole Malfoy thing…you're acting as if you are someone else. The Hermione I knew would never do something like this, she would never befriend him after everything he has done and said to us. After everything he has said to you."

"He's changed." Hermione said quietly.

Harry sighed and let go of Hermione's arm. "That I will never believe." Harry looked past Hermione and saw Ron standing in the doorway of the Great Hall, his broomstick in his hand, and an odd look of understanding on his face. Harry decided to ignore him and looked back at Hermione. "I'm going to ask you to stay away from him." Harry said quietly, staring at Hermione's face.

"And you know I won't do that." Hermione replied softly. "He's my friend, and although I don't like him as much as I like you-or Ron for that matter…you're not going to tell me what to do. I believe he has changed, and he is going to continue to be my friend, whether you like it or not." Hermione finished, wrapping her arms around herself and headed down to the Quidditch pitch. Around them, students were filing out of the Great Hall to go to the match. "Oh, and Harry? Good luck for the match. Don't hurt him too much." She added turning away from him and heading down to the Quidditch pitch, leaving Harry alone.

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Even though Harry's anger had lessened since he had first heard about Hermione and Draco, the mere sight of Draco on the pitch made the anger flare up again, and he tried his best to crush the bones of Draco's hand as they shook hands. Harry rose up into the air; his gaze fixed on Draco's who seemed extra happy and cocky about something. This only fuelled his anger, and a drive that he had never felt before urged him to find the Snitch first.

He looked back at the Gryffindor stands, where he saw Luna and Hermione wave at him, Luna with her ridiculous hat and Hermione with a look of trepidation on her face.

Harry turned back to the game, the whistle blew and the game begun.

Harry flew upwards, getting above the game so he could watch at a bird's eye view. He had completed forgotten that Buffy would be attending the game, so when he flew past one of the teacher stands, she shouted out at him and almost knocked him off his broom with shock.

Dean Thomas had taken over the commentary, and while he was not funny like Lee had been, Dean was good; since he had practiced by commentating football matches since he was very young.

"And the game begins and Gryffindor quickly gets possession of the Quaffle…Ginny Weasley flies up the pitch, passes to new Chaser Matthew Hart-ducks the Bludger from Crabbe-passes to Shah…intercepted by Warrington and he's away down the pitch…passes to the lef- no, passes to the right…that fooled Weasley and the Quaffle is caught by Montague…down the left hand side of the pitch…passes back to Montague…nice interception! Hart speeds down the pitch, come on Gryffindor, score!"

Harry stopped circling the pitch to watch as Hart sped down the pitch, the Quaffle tucked under his right hand. Hart veered left and up at the Slytherin hoops and neatly threw it into the ring, the Slytherin keeper just missing the Quaffle.

Whoops and cheers erupted around the stands, Harry could hear Luna's lion roar, and Harry couldn't help grinning to himself. He saw the game start again, Slytherin in possession and saw Alexia Hope whack a bludger in Warrington's direction. There was a loud groan as the bludger impacted at the side of Warrington's torso and he dropped the Quaffle, only to be caught by Montague underneath him.

Harry started to circle the pitch again, the sun beating down on his face. He could not see the glint of gold he needed to finish this match. Harry groaned as he heard something very familiar increase volume from the Slytherin stands.

"_Weasley cannot save a thing,_

_He cannot block a single ring,_

_That's why Slytherins all sing,_

_Weasley is our King."_

The screams and cheers from the other houses got louder, trying to drown out the singing, as did Dean's commentary.

"Montague with the Quaffle…dodges the bludger…oo, that can't be allowed!" Dean said as the Gryffindor stands erupted with shouts of anger as Montague elbowed Shah in the stomach, sending her doubling forwards and just barely clinging onto her broom. "Montague heading for the hoops, come on Ron!"

Harry stopped his searching to look at Ron, his hopes high. The singing got louder as Montague neared the hoops, and Ron flew in mid air, his expression set and his body ready. Near the hoops was Malfoy, laughing, trying to put Ron off his focus. Harry was glad to see that it wasn't working, and Ron ignored him as Montague neared him.

Montague threw the Quaffle into the right hoop and Ron leaned towards his left and:

"SAVED! Saved by Gryffindor Keeper Ron Weasley!" Dean said, almost drowned out by the cheering and booing from the crowds below Harry.

Ron threw the Quaffle back to his sister, a large grin on his face, and the game continued, Malfoy rising up in the air, looking thoroughly disheartened.

Once again Harry started to circle the stadium; he could see Malfoy keeping close to him, copying his movements. Harry grinned to himself, he couldn't punch the bloke's face in right now, as much as he wanted to, but he decided to try something. As Ginny sped down the pitch with the Quaffle and Montague stole it from her and headed back to Ron, Harry pretended to have seen the Snitch and dived down into the green below, and as expected, Malfoy followed.

Harry dodged and dived in and out of the way of players and Bludgers, the wind rushing through his hair and clothes, and a smile of triumph and happiness on his face. The ground was coming closer to him as he sped towards it, Malfoy was behind him. He could hear shouts and screams as he came closer, but at the last minute, he pulled up and rose up on the other side, looking back to see Malfoy struggle to pull out of the dive. Malfoy impacted with the ground, and Harry abruptly stopped near one of the teacher stands, watching as Malfoy stood up on the ground below, blood streaming down from his nose. Harry grinned to himself as Madam Pomfrey ran onto the pitch and cleaned Malfoy off, and set him back on his broom.

Harry took off again, circling around the pitch as high up as he could, keeping an eye on the game.

Ginny scored for Gryffindor, but as soon as she had, Montague scored for Slytherin. It was twenty to ten, to Gryffindor , and the singing from the Slytherins got louder.

But Harry did not care, for he had seen the snitch, hovering next to Crabbe's ear. He dived, flying at a faster speed before and Malfoy saw his movements and followed also, unsure if this was real or not. But soon Malfoy had seen the Snitch and he tailed Harry, following the Snitch as it weaved around players and towers.

Harry ducked as Crabbe sent a Bludger near him, and then again as Montague tried to barrel into him at full force. He had to veer left, going around a stand instead of straight ahead of it, and the crowds below cheered for him. He looked behind his shoulder as he came again into the pitch and saw that Malfoy had caught up and was closing in on Harry. Harry dived again as the Snitch did, and Malfoy dived also, coming up behind Harry. They skimmed the grass on the ground and Malfoy was right next to Harry, knocking into him from the side, his Quidditch robes stained with his blood, it was still streaming down from his nose. Harry kept his course, and as the Snitch went up, they did too, Malfoy once again knocking him in the side.

Harry knocked Malfoy back, harder than he meant to, and Malfoy lost balance and fell off his broom, landing on the grass ten feet below and rolling for a further five. Malfoy signaled to Madam Hooch, who sighed and flew over. It didn't matter that Harry had just lost Malfoy, because he had lost sight of the Snitch.

Madam Hooch flew up to Harry, the game still going on ahead so they had to dodge bludgers and players. "Mr Potter, explain yourself." She said sternly.

"Got carried away, hit him harder than I meant to. Sorry." Harry lied.

Madam Hooch nodded, accepting his apology. She looked back at Malfoy, who had seated himself back on his broom and was glaring daggers at Harry. "Better get on with the game then." Hooch said, and Harry nodded, flying around the pitch, listening to the jeers from the Slytherins and the whoops of delight from the Gryffindors.

Harry continued to circle the pitch as Gryffindor scored twice and Slytherin four times. It was fifty to forty, and the game was getting rougher, the Slytherins were taking advantage of their older and larger built team.

And then he saw it again, that glint of gold that could win Gryffindor the match, hovering above one of the stands. He dived, racing towards it, dodging and ducking things that got in his way. And then he saw Malfoy streak out of the sky on Harry's right, a blur of silver and green, and Harry urged his broom on, he had to go faster, he had to beat Malfoy. The snitch skirted one of the stands and headed towards the Slytherin stands, which was closer to Harry than it was to Malfoy. Harry could hear cheering and booing, Dean commentating and the rush of the wind in his ears as he focused on the Snitch…he had to get it, he was getting closer, closer.

Malfoy and he were now neck and neck as the Snitch moved to the left; neither of them thought of trying to shove each other off their brooms, they were both so fixated on the Snitch.

Harry urged his Firebolt to go faster, and miraculously, Harry pulled mere inches in front of Malfoy. The snitch was a few metres away, now a couple of feet…inches…Harry reached out his hand and Malfoy helplessly tried to pull him back, but Harry's fingers closed around the Snitch, struggling in his grasp.

Shouts erupted from around the stadium as Harry held up his hand that held the Snitch in triumph. The whistle blew and Malfoy hung back, defeated, as Harry circled the pitch in triumph, grinning as the cheers got louder and his team stopped and congratulated him.

Harry grinned as he touched down on the ground and his team mates came up and hugged him and patted him on the back. In the midst of the crowd, Harry searched for Malfoy, and saw that he was alone; his shoulders slumped in defeat and misery. And if it was possible, Harry's smile grew and he felt even better about winning.

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Hermione stood in the corner, a butterbeer in her hand and a cake in the other. She really did not feel like partying, but the rest of the Gryffindor house obviously felt different. Butterbeer was available in mass, and there were tons of sweets and cakes to eat. A large banner said 'Congratulations Gryffindors!" and the team were being treated like royalty.

She had watched the game through her fingers that day, especially during the Wronski Feint and when Harry had knocked Malfoy off his broom and he had fallen ten feet. Hermione couldn't really blame Harry for doing that, but Hermione had hated him for it all the same.

Hermione looked over at the clock-it was nine. Hermione put down her butterbeer and cake-they were untouched-and pushed her way through the people to get to the portrait door. But to her dismay, Harry and Ginny were in front of it talking animatedly. But the minute Harry caught sight of her, his expression changed and he rose off the chair he had been sitting to face her, his arms folded against his chest.

"Where are you going?" He asked, his expression set.

Hermione did not bother to answer him; she knew Harry already knew the answer.

"Don't go." Harry said firmly, and Hermione shook her head, laughing in spite of herself.

"You can't tell me what to do."

"I thought I just did."

Hermione glared at Harry coldly and Harry met her gaze steadily, unflinching. Ginny just stared between the two, unsure of what was going on, but she could practically see the tension.

"Why can't you just support me with this?" Hermione asked. "I've supported you with every decision you've made."

Harry snorted, "Don't do that. Don't bring back the past to help you win your cause."

"I'm just saying Harry…If you were my friend, a proper friend, then you would let me do this."

Harry paused, glaring steely at her. "The reason why I'm doing this is because I'm your friend, Hermione. I'm your friend, and I care about you and I don't want you to get hurt, which you will!"

"I won't!" Hermione shouted back angrily.

"You will!"

"I won't!"

"You will!"

Hermione sighed, and looked away, not wanting to meet Harry's eyes anymore. "I'm tired of this conversation Harry. I'm sick of it, and I'm sick of you." She said quietly, but even amongst the noise of the party, Harry still heard her. "Just get out of my way."

He stood in front of her, frozen in shock after what she said, but after a few moments he recovered and stalked off into the crowd, leaving Hermione free to go.

She did, and she could not forget Harry's expression when she had told him what she thought of him. His face was stuck in her mind the entire way up to the tower, the guilty feeling replacing the angry one in her stomach, and Harry and Ron's words from that day played in her mind.

She opened the door to the highest Astronomy tower cautiously, and peered inside. Malfoy was standing with his back to her, and Hermione said a hello. He didn't turn around to look or her, didn't say hello back, but muttered "Granger."

Hermione frowned and walked towards Draco. He never called her Granger, not anymore. She came up behind him and put her hand on his shoulder. "Draco what's wrong?"

He turned then, smiling, something glinting in his eye that she couldn't figure out. His hand reached inside his robe, and he said: "Nothing."

And then he stabbed her.

He drew out a silver dagger from his robes- a dagger with a long blade and jewels at the hilt and stuck it in her gut, as hard as he could, the grin never leaving his face.

She doubled over in shock, her fingers clutching the hilt of the dagger, stumbling backwards, and dark spots clouding her vision. Draco walked towards her, eyeing the dagger all the while.

"Do you know how disgusted I feel with myself?" Draco asked as Hermione staggered backwards. "Pretending to like you all these months, talking to you civilly…talking to a mudblood like you." He looked at her as if she was something dirty, and tears started to leak from Hermione's eyes. Everything was changed, everything was different about him. He was back to his evil self that she had known years ago, except he was worse.

"How? Why?" Hermione asked weakly, the pain intense. She leant against wall, she could feel herself getting weaker…she knew she was dying.

Malfoy grinned and squatted down in front of her, rolling up his left sleeve. "Do you want to see what I got for Christmas?" His showed her his arm, and Hermione felt sick.

"The Dark Mark." She choked.

Draco nodded, a proud look on his face. "I've wanted it for ages, but I finally turned seventeen in December. Did you know you can only become a Death Eater when your seventeen and above?"

Hermione felt bile rising in her throat as Draco's face kept disappearing and appearing in darkness.

"I accepted the challenge last summer; I couldn't wait to kill you. I've always hated you, but you probably knew that. You and your little boyfriends, Potty and Weasel. But I endured your blabbering about how great and sweet and brave your friends are, especially Potty. I endured it all, so I could do this."

He took hold of the hilt of the dagger and pulled it out of her gut, blood dripping from the blade onto the cold stone. The cold stone that kept on getting colder and colder for Hermione, the air was colder, her skin was colder.

"You see this stuff here?" He asked, pointing to black liquid that mixed with the blood on the blade. "It's released when the blade makes contact with something such as blood. Its poison by the way. It should kill you, in about a week. Until then, you'll be between a state of unconsciousness and consciousness, unable to speak but able to feel every single thing that happens in your body. Able to feel your organs burning up until there is nothing left." He smiled, thoroughly enjoying it all. "I've heard it's painful, but I've never tried it."

Hermione forced open her eyes, staring into those cold, gray ones in front of her. "Bas…bastard." She mumbled weakly, and Draco laughed.

"Yes, yes I am. But, your dying gives me great pleasure. It's too bad Potty and the Weasel aren't here to save you." Draco said gleefully.

"Think again."

Draco spun on his heel, a look of surprise and horror on his face as Harry and Ron threw off the invisibility cloak, their wands drawn. A look of utter hatred was worn on Harry's face, and Hermione at that point did not care that she was supposed to be angry with him…she was so glad to see him and Ron.

"Get away from her." Ron said angrily, his face white and his wand hand trembling.

Draco laughed and whipped out his wand. "Now boys, don't do anything you might regret."

"_Stupefy!" _Harry yelled.

"_Protego!" _Draco said, and Harry's spell was blocked. _"Expelliarmus!"_

Both Harry's and Ron's wands shot out of their hand and landed somewhere behind Draco, next to Hermione, but Hermione found she did not have enough strength to reach it, as pain was caused from just stretching her fingers.

Draco grinned, clearly thinking he had won. "What are you going to do without wands?"

Hermione made a cry of pain as she tried to reach one of their wands, and both boys instantly glanced at her.

A powerful emotion took hold of Harry, and he outstretched his hand, his palm facing Draco, and without saying any incantation, Draco was pushed backwards, and slammed into the wall. They all looked stunned at Harry's achievement, but before Draco could react, Harry reached his wand and thin, snake like cords flew out of them, tying Draco up. Draco's wand dropped to the floor, out of his reach, and he struggled in the binds.

Harry walked up to him, squatting down so they were face to face.

"The Dark Lord will kill you all. You will never defeat him." Malfoy spat, and Harry shrugged.

"Right now, you're my concern and I would just like to say-"

Crack

Harry took hold of Draco's head and slammed it forcefully into the ground, knocking him out.

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Sorry about the long wait, was down, and then for ages I couldn't log into my account…well here's a nice long chapter for you, and in the future they should all be pretty much the same length. Elsawriter is right, things are wrapping up now, coming to an end, so chapters are longer.

Anyways, many thanks for the reviews! I appreciate your comments!

Charmed-angel4: Lol, I was thinking of killing him actually, but Fudge is going to be alive for the rest of the story. Sorry. Lets hope that JKR kills him though!

Elsawriter: Oo, new story kicks ass? I'm sure it does, and now I really really want to read it! So post it soon ok? And I know exactly what you mean about writer's block, I'm having it with this story, on and off, it's a struggle to get stuff written, but hopefully, muse will strike you, and you'll write again.

CharmedChick: Lol, I'm glad you liked the pj's. Ginny's full name is actually Ginerva, not Virginia. JKR said this in an interview a while ago. But before that I've always thought it was Virginia too, so you're not the only one.

Please review!


	52. Placing the Blame

Chapter 52. Placing the Blame.

Blood was everywhere, on Harry's fingers, on Malfoy's blonde hair…on the grey stone floor. Harry turned around, every object, every colour…everything in the room a blur to him as his eyes found Hermione, slumped against the wall.

The same whine of panic took hold of him as it had last year in the Department of Mysteries as he took in the blood and black liquid that stained her robes, her unseeing eyes, her lips turning blue, and the absence of movement of her chest.

She wasn't breathing.

Harry ran to Hermione and crouching down next to Ron, who looked completely shocked and was staring at her. "She's not breathing!" Harry shouted.

Ron did nothing.

"What do we do?" Harry asked helplessly.

Ron said nothing.

Harry fumbled for Hermione's wrist, searching for a pulse. It was there-faint-but there, and if he looked closer, her chest was moving slightly. Harry felt a wave of relief wash over him. "Go get Dumbledore." Harry instructed. "She's got a pulse, but you need to get Dumbledore." Harry yelled urgently, and Ron looked at Harry, and nodded, swallowing.

"She'll…she'll be alright though…won't she?" He asked, sounding so meek and desperate that Harry almost felt sorry for him.

Almost.

"She won't if you keep standing there!" Harry yelled, and Ron nodded, running out of the room and pounding down the stairs.

Harry and Hermione were left alone.

Harry had no idea what to do. Before, it had been panic and urgency and common sense that told him what to do. Ron's silence had forced him to take charge, but now that Ron was gone…

Harry looked helplessly at Hermione and felt tears roll down his cheeks at the sight of her dead-like appearance. He didn't bother to wipe his tears away.

"Tell me what to do Hermione, please." He begged, taking her ice cold hand. His eyes travelled to the sickening wound in her gut, and he hurriedly took off his robe, even though he was only wearing a shirt underneath and it was cold. He bundled it up and pressed it to the wound, hoping that he was doing something right.

He sat back, the material still pressed to her stomach, her eyes staring past him and into some place he did not know where. His teeth were chattering now from the cold, but he did not dare put his robe back on in case it was actually helping Hermione.

His mind played back everything he had said to Hermione, and a terrible emotion took hold of Harry…if Hermione died, the last words he would have spoken to her would have been full of hate and anger. She would never have known how much he meant to her, how much he needed her, how much he loved her.

"I'm so sorry, Hermione. I'm so sorry." Harry begged, tears flowing freely down his cold, pale cheeks. "I should have gotten here sooner, I should have stopped you coming, and I should have killed Malfoy when I had the chance."

Footsteps pounded on the staircase behind the door, and Harry looked to it hopefully. Relief flooded his face as Dumbledore appeared in the doorway, his expression pained and shocked. Madam Pomfrey pushed her way past Dumbledore, stopping and gasping in shock at the sight of Hermione.

"Madam Pomfrey…" Harry said, glancing helplessly between Hermione and the nurse. "Please…please help her."

Madam Pomfrey nodded, broken out of her shock and she knelt next to Hermione, taking out various potions and things from the black bag she carried.

"Where's Ron?" He asked.

"He went the toilets." Dumbledore said, walking to Draco Malfoy and inspecting him. "He felt sick."

Harry nodded, but wished Ron was with him now, so they could look after their best friend together.

"Did you do this, Harry?" Dumbledore asked, gesturing to the cords that bound Draco and the blood that pooled on the floor.

"Yes." Harry said, not an ounce of guilt in his body.

Dumbledore surveyed Harry with curious eyes, peering over his half moon spectacles to look at the boy who would save the world. Dumbledore said nothing however, and left Malfoy where he lay, and asked Madam Pomfrey how Hermione was.

Madam Pomfrey shook her head, her face white, and her fingers trembling. "There's not much I can do."

The whine of panic went off again in Harry's head and he looked sharply at the nurse, wishing he had heard wrong. "Is she…is she going to…d-die?"

Madam Pomfrey looked at him, honesty in her eyes. "Possibly."

Harry choked; something was constricting his breathing in his throat. Tears clouded his vision as he struggled to keep a hold on himself, but he found he couldn't. Harry could not imagine life without Hermione, she was one of his closest friends, and she meant more to him than he could and would ever say to her. The thought of spending his life without Hermione as his friend sickened him, and he felt the need to vomit too.

"We should contact the Healers at St Mungo's. If she can be saved, then the methods required are past my experience and knowledge." The nurse said.

"Well then get her there." Harry said coldly, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Pomfrey look to Dumbledore for consent. Dumbledore gave it, all the while looking at Harry with a sad expression on his face.

Madam Pomfrey quickly left the tower, instructing them to keep Hermione warm and to take her to the hospital wing. Dumbledore quickly conjured up a blanket and draped it over Hermione, then turned back to Harry.

"Harry, you must try to control your emotions." He said softly, and Harry stared at him, hating him with all the strength he could muster.

"How can you ask me to do that?"

"Hermione is very important to you, I know this Harry. But you must keep your feelings in check, Voldemort-"

"I don't care!" Harry shouted, tears streaming down his face. "I don't care if I'm projecting my emotions to Voldemort! I don't care!" He stopped, panting, and looked at Hermione's pale face. "I'm losing one of my best friends. I don't fucking care."

Dumbledore nodded, keeping wisely silent.

"It's all my fault." Harry choked. "The things I said to her…merely an hour ago…she's gonna die thinking that I hate her."

Dumbledore shook his head, placing a grand-fatherly hand on Harry's shoulder. "No she will not. She knows how you feel about her, more than you do yourself. And she would have known that you did not mean whatever it was you said to her." Dumbledore sighed. "If it was anyone's fault, it would be mine." Harry looked at him, and was shocked by the guilty and sad expression on his headmasters face. "I never knew about Mister Malfoy, about his true self. And I should have known. If it was anyone's fault, Harry, it would be mine."

The pair was both silent for a moment, until Dumbledore said that they had better move Hermione to the hospital wing. Harry nodded, standing up and wiping furiously at the tears on his cheeks and in his eyes. Dumbledore conjured up a mat and Hermione was carefully levitated on it. He then levitated Malfoy off the ground, and Harry took Hermione's cold hand as they walked down the stairs and towards the hospital wing, Hermione and Malfoy floating in front of them.

He wished that Ron could be here at the moment, he wished that he had not fought with Hermione; he wished he had pushed Malfoy off his broom at a higher distance from the ground. He wished many things, but most of all he wished-willed-Hermione to be alright, to turn her head, look into his eyes and tell him she was fine, then lecture him about doing homework on time. But she did not do it, her eyes were still open but they stared unseeing into the ceiling. She did not blink once, nor did she look anywhere else. It was unnerving, but Harry did not dare close them, she would look too dead with them closed.

They reached the hospital wing, where several Healers, Madam Pomfrey, Professor McGonagall, Kingsley, Tonks, Snape and Ron were waiting. Ron had his head in his hands, and Harry could tell he was crying. No one comforted him, and Harry knew that was what he would want also. How could someone tell him that it was ok, that Hermione would be fine, when she so clearly would not, and it was not ok!

The Healers immediately started to inspect Hermione, putting her on one of the beds and looking her over, muttering quietly to each other. Kingsley and Tonks immediately took care of Malfoy, putting him on one of the beds and pressing a bandage to his wound on his head. Both Ron and Harry glared at Malfoy in his still form, wishing he were dead.

"Harry, will you come over here please?" Tonks asked kindly, and Harry nodded, walking away from Hermione and joining Tonks, Kingsley, Dumbledore and McGonagall. Ron sat on a chair a bit away from them, listening in.

"Harry, can you tell me what happened?" Kingsley asked, and Harry nodded. Kingsley took out a quill and some parchment.

"S-She left the common room at about nine. We were having a party, because we won the Quidditch match today, and I told her not to leave."

"Why?"

"I found out today, from Ron, that Hermione was friends with Draco Malfoy. And he has always been horrible to us, and I did not trust him with her. And we argued about it. And she left."

"When did you fight?" Kingsley asked.

Harry swallowed. "Today, before the Quidditch match. I got angry with her. And then again at the party, when she was leaving."

"So you let 'er go?" Tonks asked, and Harry nodded. "What did you do after?"

"I found Ron, and told him what was happening. He said we should follow her, so we did…under my dad's invisibility cloak."

"How far behind were you from Miss Granger?" Kingsley asked, his quill in his hand, writing down everything Harry was saying.

"A couple of minutes." Harry said. It was true, but he had the Marauder's Map with him at the time, so it was easy to see where Hermione was going.

"And when you got to the tower, what were they doing?"

Harry swallowed again; he could feel tears pricking in his eyes. He could not forget the image of Hermione, slumped against the wall, her skin going pale and Malfoy standing over her. "He was talking to her, she was slumped against the wall…she was hurt. He had a dagger in his hand; it was covered with h-her b-blood. And he said that her d-dying would give him great pleasure. And then he saw us."

"Did you three duel?" Tonks asked, and Harry nodded.

"It didn't take long really, he took our wands and then I made him slam against the wall."

"You made him?" Dumbledore repeated, and Harry nodded.

"I-I don't know how. I just saw Hermione…and…he just slammed against the wall." Harry explained, not knowing how he had done it.

"Did you use an action or say a spell?" Dumbledore asked, interested and slightly pleased.

"I put up my hand, like this." Harry said, demonstrating. "Then, I got my wand, and put cords around his body, and knocked him out. And then…Ron found you obviously…and that's it."

Kingsley nodded. "That's fine Harry. I may need to ask some more questions later, but I think we are done for now." He said, standing up.

"What are you going to do with him?" Ron asked hoarsely, staring at the ground.

"He will be going to Azkaban." Kingsley said firmly. "He is now old enough."

"Will there be a trial?" McGonagall asked, her face pale after hearing everything.

"I doubt it." Tonks said. "Madam Bones will look over this information, and if she's happy with it, then he won't have a trial."

"We'll be off then, Dumbledore." Kingsley said, and Dumbledore nodded, thanking them. "We are very sorry, Harry, Ron." Kingsley said, and Harry nodded in thanks, but he could not look at him. Tonks squeezed his shoulder, and Harry felt something constricting his throat…everything was so final, so grim, it was almost as if they were confirming that Hermione was going to die. And Harry did not want that.

He strode past Dumbledore and approached the Healers as they discussed something with Professor Snape. "What's happening to her? Is she going to be ok?"

One of the Healers looked at him, unsure whether to tell Harry what was happening. But at the sight of his scar, and at Dumbledore's nod of consent, the Healer decided to tell Harry and Ron-who had appeared at Harry's side.

"She is suffering from severe poisoning and blood loss. The blood loss we can fix, but the poisoning is more complicated."

"But you can save her, right?" Ron asked adamantly.

The Healer sighed, and looked at the boys, honesty and sadness showing in his face. "We are taking her to St Mungo's where she can be properly assisted. However, you should expect the worst. From our tests, she has a small chance of surviving."

"But there's a chance." Ron said desperately.

The healer nodded "But you should expect the worst. It will be easier on two boys if you do." The Healer said seriously, and Ron turned away, staring out of the window so no one could see him cry.

"Do whatever you can." Harry demanded tearfully. "Save her, please."

The healer nodded, and the Healers turned their backs to him, feeding Hermione potions that would make the pain lessen.

Ron muttered something about telling Ginny and Neville and abruptly left the hospital wing. McGonagall left, saying that she needed to contact Hermione's parents. Harry retreated to the back of the ward, away from Hermione and the busy Healers, unable to bear seeing her anymore. The ward grew quiet, apart from the hushed whisperings of the Healers.

Harry could hear footsteps approach from behind, but he did not turn around.

"Mister Potter." Snape's icy voice cut through the air. "I am sorry."

Harry clenched his fists as his thoughts turned to Snape. "You should be." He said coldly. "How did you not know?"

"The Dark Lord does not trust me with information."

Harry ground his teeth and stared at the wall opposite him in frustration. "Then you are no use. You were sent to Voldemort to hear about his plans…yet you didn't hear about this!" Harry's voice rose as he turned around, and the Healers looked their way.

"I am sorry I did not hear about Draco Malfoy." Snape said quietly, trying to be nice as Dumbledore had told him to be. Dumbledore had known that Harry would place some of the blame, if not most, on Snape. Snape himself had expected that.

"You are a spy." Harry said quietly, meeting Snape's gaze unflinchingly. "And you are the head of his house! How did you not know?"

"The Dark Lord does not trust me with information." Snape repeated.

"Bull." Harry scoffed.

"There are always casualties and fatalities in a war Mister Potter." Snape stated.

"Don't talk about her like that!" Harry shouted. "She's my best friend! And she could die, 'cos of _you_. Because fucking Voldemort did not trust _you_." Harry said angrily.

"Language, Mister Potter."

"Fuck off!" Harry shouted. "I'm not the one that has done something wrong! Or at least…_you_ are more to blame than _me_." Harry added stonily. "And if she dies…I hope you can live with yourself." Harry said coldly. "Because I had an argument with her moments before this all happened. And I feel like shit. So if she dies…I _really_ hope you can live with yourself." Harry finished, glaring at him coldly, before leaving the hospital ward.

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Hi everyone, I'm really sorry for the wait. I'm really busy with exams and revising at the moment so there won't be a lot of updates this month until the exams finish.

Thank you all for the reviews! I loved seeing your reactions to that last chapter, it was great!

OhTheConfusion: of course you may use the dagger for your story, no problem.

Kaity ): no its not the same poison, that poison is meant for vampires, and of course the cure is the blood of a slayer, so I'm not gonna have human Hermione drink Buffy's blood because that would be weird. The poison I used is just plain old killing poison. It's fun.

AnimeHanyou39: Lol that was a lot of questions. I doubt there is gonna be more Buffy/Sirius fluff. They're gonna stay together of course, but their relationship isn't so important to the story, I just like them together. As for the violence and blood…yeah I should think so. And as for the other questions…do you really think I would answer them? Lol. Wait till the end of the story and your questions would have been answered.

Buffy/Harry Potter Fan: Thanks for all the reviews! I don't have time to go through all the questions right now but as the story comes to an end, all questions should be answered!

Anyway, I hope to update quicker than last! Please review and if I don't update before, Merry Christmas (for all those who celebrate)! Happy holidays for the ones who don't celebrate Xmas!

Becks


	53. Of Talks and Explanations

I hope all those affected by the shocking earthquake and tidal waves a week ago are recovering well. My heart goes out to the friends and families of the victims of the tsunami.

Chapter 53.

The next couple of days were a blur to Harry. Every waking moment was spent thinking about Hermione, and his dreams were filled of the memory up in the Astronomy tower. He knew Ron was feeling the same way, and neither were up to talking to anybody.

The Gryffindors were numb with shock. The common room was always subdued and quiet, and the rift between Gryffindor and Slytherin had grown even deeper. Aurors were sent to Hogwarts and proceeded to ask any of Malfoy's friends if they knew about what Malfoy had been planning on doing. They all said no and many pretended that they weren't Malfoy's friends. The Aurors knew that something was wrong, and informed Dumbledore. Dumbledore immediately asked Malfoy's friends to roll up the sleeves of their arms. Only two did, and, once the Aurors saw the Dark Mark on their arms, sent them away from Hogwarts to be questioned at the Ministry of Magic.

Harry did not particularly care what happened to Malfoy's friends. All he cared about was Hermione, and Malfoy's fate. It was reported that Malfoy did not get a trial, and was sent to Azkaban. Harry felt a little bit of happiness at the news, but not enough to cover the sadness and anxiety he was feeling for Hermione. The week after Hermione had been stabbed was crucial for her survival. Tests and potions and all sorts of things were given to her at St Mungo's for her recovery. Hermione's parents stayed with her at St Mungo's; however Ron and Harry were not allowed to visit her because they were still in school and were not immediate family.

It tore Harry up that he couldn't visit her that week, that he was sitting at school, being forced to listen to lectures and write useless things on parchment, when he really wanted to be at St Mungo's, wanted it more than anything else for her to get better.

It was a bright, harsh flame of guilt that was burning, ever present, in his chest. It was there in the mornings, in the afternoons and when he went to sleep. The knowledge that Hermione was in St Mungo's because of him tore Harry up inside, and it only reminded him that all his other close friends would be treated in the same way in the eyes of Voldemort-his friends would be useful only to hurt to him, Harry.

And it was worse that it was Hermione that Voldemort chose, for she had already suffered so much because of him, she had spent weeks in the hospital wing last year, because of him.

But finally the news came that she would be alright, and that she would pull through, even though it would be hard and she would be in a considerable amount of pain. The elation that Harry felt at that moment when Dumbledore told him was so much that he couldn't speak for several minutes, a large grin forming a permanent place on his face.

The flame of guilt in his chest burned dimly in his chest after that, he still felt awful that Hermione had suffered because of him, but it was brilliant that she was going to live. Harry did not even want to think what life would be without her or without Ron for that matter.

But the thought of his friends and family getting hurt because of him was permanently etched in his mind, and he could not look at Ron without remembering this cruel fact. He did not want to live without his best friends, but to keep them safe, he might have to. Hermione had already been targeted twice because of him and Ginny in his second year. They had survived it, but what would happen if they did not the next time? Harry knew he would not be able to live with the guilt if they died. The guilt that he had suffered knowing that he had indirectly hurt Hermione was eating him up from inside, and he did not know, and did not want to know what he would feel and be like if his friends and family were taken away from him permanently.

This ever present guilt and the growing sense of isolation and the idea that his friends would get hurt because of him, caused Harry to be separated and detached the days after Hermione's attack. Hermione still lay in hospital, comatose, and none of his friends seemed up to talking, even after the declaration that Hermione was going to live, but they still noticed that Harry's was quieter and more detached than the rest.

Ron, Luna, Ginny and Neville had asked him about it, Lupin had tried to broach the subject after class but Harry had just walked away, and Sirius and Willow could tell something was wrong, but Harry had completely disregarded the subject, despite the snide comment from Ron that accused him of acting like he did last year. Harry didn't particularly care, he was drowning in a pool of sorrow and misery and self-pity, and he was too busy to care about how he came across to his friends.

It was at that time, when Harry was wallowing in self pity near the lake, watching as the giant squid skimmed the surface of the water with its tentacles, when he heard snow crunch on the ground underneath heavy boots.

Buffy stopped next to him, her arms folded against herself, wrapped in a large coat and scarf. "Can it get any colder?" She complained, shivering.

"Try going to the Artic." Harry said wryly, and Buffy grinned.

"And you make jokes. That's good, because I haven't heard many jokes from you for the last couple of days. Or laughter. Or any kind of words coming from your mouth."

Harry sighed and looked back out at the lake. "Don't feel up to speaking at the moment."

"Well, you're doing it now. Want to talk some more about it?" Buffy quietly, placing a hand on Harry's arm.

"About what?" Harry said stiffly.

"About Hermione." Buffy said. "I know how much she means to you, and I just want to know how you're doing."

"I'm fine." Harry said, but after a pause, and Buffy nodded knowingly.

"You're really not." She commented, and Harry made no move to prove her wrong. "I know its hard Harry, but-"

"No, you don't know!" Harry said angrily.

"I do know." Buffy said quietly but firmly. "Don't forget, I'm the slayer, remember? And I know it's different, because it's always different, but I just want you to know that I've been there."

Harry stared stonily out into the lake, trying hard not to listen to Buffy, but it was difficult not to. They were both incredibly different, but both so scarily similar. Buffy had just as much pressure on her as Harry did. Buffy had been through the same things, fighting against evil and the like, and Harry knew that Buffy had seen some terrible things in her life. As had Harry.

"You know Faith went evil right?" Buffy asked, and Harry nodded. "Well, when she was evil, she was working for this big demon guy, the Mayor. And he was getting ready for his Ascension, which basically, is a big whole thing of bad. Anyway, my friends and I were working on stopping him, and Faith, and I guess the Mayor knew we were really close or something, because he sent Faith to deal with me, by attacking someone who was really close to me at that time. It was Angel, and I loved him, and they knew it. And they poisoned him."

"Like Hermione." Harry said softly, and Buffy nodded.

"Yeah, Faith poisoned Angel like Voldemort did to Hermione. And it pissed the hell outta me, and it scared me too, 'cos I thought I was going to lose him." Buffy said quietly, looking out across the lake.

"And they didn't succeed." Harry said, and Buffy smiled.

"No they didn't. Thankfully, I saved him." Buffy sighed, and locked her arm under Harry's. "But that happened all the time. The big bad that we would be fighting would choose one of my friends, 'cos they knew it would take my focus away."

"Your friends got hurt because of you." Harry said quietly, and Buffy nodded.

"Yes. But you can't stop it from happening."

"If you stop being their friend then it would. If you cut off all ties with them, they wouldn't get hurt." Harry said bitterly, voicing his thoughts.

Buffy looked up at him sadly, searching his green eyes. "And that's what you're thinking of doing, aren't you?"

Harry didn't answer, but it was enough for Buffy.

"I thought about doing that, many times. I cared so much about my friends that I never want to see them get hurt. But, if you don't keep in contact with anyone, then you can go crazy."

"Maybe, but your friends will be safe." Harry commented.

Buffy shrugged. "Sure, but they'll be sick worrying about where you are and what you're doing. For me, having close friends and family helps. The council always frowned upon it, the slayer is supposed to be some lonesome girl with no connections. But, having friends and family gives me someone to fight for. Without them, I'll probably be dead. And I know that without Ron and Hermione, you'll be dead too."

Harry sighed, shoving his free hand in his jeans pocket. "I know I wouldn't be able to live without Ron and Hermione, but if I was not their friend, they would be so much safer, and Hermione would have never gotten hurt."

Buffy shrugged, and unhooked her arm from Harry's. "I can't stop you from shutting everyone out. I can try, but in the end, it has to be your decision. You ask Ron and Hermione, and see what they think. You see if they do not want to be your friend anymore because of the danger that will place them in. I'm a hundred percent sure they would do anything for you, and I know that isolating you would be the last thing on their mind. You can try to shut the world out, Harry, but it won't shut out you." Buffy said quietly, leaving Harry by the lake and heading back to the castle.

---------------------------

That evening, Harry was summoned to Dumbledore's office, and Harry knew what it would be about. Because it was on his mind. Every time he stopped thinking about Hermione, he would start thinking about what he did to Draco, and the power he had exerted over him. Wandless power.

Harry sat in Dumbledore's office on a comfy, cushioned chair, opposite Dumbledore's desk. Dumbledore sat on his chair behind the desk, eyes behind half-moon glasses peering at Harry, observing him. Watching him. Harry did not like it.

Common sense told him not to be rude and not to demand that Dumbledore stop staring at him in that unnerving manner, so instead, he cut to the chase. "I was wondering why you asked me here."

Dumbledore's mouth drew up into a knowing smile, and he leant back in his chair, clasping his hands and placing them on his lap. "No you weren't. You, dear boy, already know."

Harry shrugged, and placed his hands on the arms of the chairs. "I want to know what you think about it."

Dumbledore said nothing, except peered at him again in that annoying manner. Harry sighed, and opened his mouth to say something, but Dumbledore beat him to it. "How are you Harry?

"Fine."

Dumbledore nodded, seemingly satisfied with Harry's lie. "I have news about Miss Granger."

Harry leant forward in his chair, suddenly eager to listen to whatever the headmaster had to say.

"Mr Weasley and you are permitted to visit her tomorrow." Dumbledore said with a smile. "Miss Granger woke up this morning for a couple of minutes and then again at lunch for an hour."

Harry grinned, breathing a sigh of relief. "Thank you Professor."

"Oh no, don't thank me. Thank the wonderful Healers. They have worked night and day to save your young friend." Dumbledore said truthfully, and Harry nodded.

"I will." He said breathlessly, silently thanking them already.

"Professor Lupin and Buffy will accompany you tomorrow. You can stay as long as you want at the hospital, but you must be back here in time for dinner. There is a chance she will be sleeping throughout the day, as she is very tired, but I suspect you do not mind."

Harry grinned. "No I don't."

Dumbledore nodded. "Good." He stroked his beard thoughtfully, and the smile disappeared. "What magic did you use against Draco Malfoy?"

Harry's smile disappeared, and he sat back in the chair. "I used my wand. And, my hand I guess."

"Have you been studying Wicca Magic?"

"No." Harry said hurriedly, knowing what it had done to Willow. "I don't know how I did it."

Dumbledore nodded, standing up from his desk. He proceeded to walk around the room, inspecting the paintings and objects as if he had never seen them before. "It takes a very powerful wizard or witch to accomplish wandless magic of that kind."

"I'm not powerful though." Harry protested. "I can hardly do any of the work that we cover in Transfiguration!"

Dumbledore shook his head. "That is irrelevant." He said quietly, fingering a cabinet, a cabinet which held the Pensieve, Harry remembered. Dumbledore seemed to remember at the exact same time and he looked back at Harry sharply, muttering _"the power the Dark Lord knows not."_

He hurried back behind the desk, Harry watching him curiously. "You think this has something to do with the prophecy?"

Dumbledore nodded as he stroked his beard. "Tell me, Harry, what happened several moments before you exerted this power over Malfoy."

"I lost my wand, Ron too." Harry remembered.

"You lost your wand, and then you used this power over him?" Dumbledore asked. "Can you remember any specific details? What did Miss Granger do for instance?"

"When we lost the wands, Hermione tried to reach for them." Harry remembered.

"And?"

"She was hurt, and she cried out in pain. She couldn't get near to the wands without experiencing pain." Harry remembered, speaking through gritted teeth.

Dumbledore smiled and sat back in his chair. "What is your relationship with Miss Granger?"

Harry sighed, he had lost count how many people had asked him this question. "She's my friend. One of my best friends. I don't know what I would do without her."

Dumbledore nodded. "What do you feel towards her?"

Harry frowned. "How do you mean?"

"What feeling do you associate with her? Does she make you feel anything special?"

Harry shrugged. "I don't know. She's never abandoned me, I know that. Even when Ron was angry with me in my fourth year, she was there for me. We had a fight in third year, but, I guess even when we weren't talking she was still looking out for me."

"And do you feel the need to look out for her?" Dumbledore asked.

Harry shrugged again. "I dunno. Yeah, I guess I normally do, but she's my friend."

"Do you think she is capable of looking after herself?"

"Yeah, of course. She really doesn't need me looking out for her to be honest. She'll be alright on her own."

"So why this need to look out for her?"

"I dunno, I just don't want anything bad to happen to her I guess. I've screwed that up so far, haven't I?" Harry added dryly.

Dumbledore shook his head adamantly. "No Harry you have not. I think, in the long run, you have just saved her life and yours, as well as many others." He said, a smile growing on his face.

"What?"

Dumbledore leant forward and placed his hands on the desk. "I am most pleased with you Harry, for I believe you have started to develop the '_power the Dark Lord knows not'_."

Harry's eyebrows rose. "Already?"

Dumbledore chuckled. "Yes, already."

"And, uh, what is this power?" Harry asked curiously.

Dumbledore smiled. "Do you remember what I told you about you and your mother?"

"My mother's love is living in me, protecting me from Voldemort?" Harry answered, and Dumbledore nodded.

"Yes. That is a type of magic. Love magic. It is stronger than any other magic in this earth, as it never dies and last forever."

"Is this the power I have over Voldemort? Love from my mother?" Harry asked.

"Yes and no." Dumbledore answered.

Harry frowned. "I don't think that can get any vaguer."

Dumbledore smiled and stood up from his chair. "The love your mother held for you, was just that, a mother's love. There is nothing like that kind of love. Nothing in the world. The love that you hold for your friends, such as Hermione, is different. The moments before you showed that power against Draco, Miss Granger was hurt, and you heard her pain. You heard her pain and anguish, and you protected her, because you either love, or are in love with her. But whatever it is, both kinds of love are very powerful against Voldemort." Dumbledore finished, leaning against his desk.

Harry frowned. "But why love? Why not something else?"

Dumbledore smiled. "Good question. Do you remember last year, when I was facing Lord Voldemort? I told him there were things worse than death, and he disagreed."

"I remember."

Dumbledore nodded, and stared at his bony hands. "Lord Voldemort, or, more precisely, Tom Riddle, thinks death is worse than love, because he has never loved, or been loved in return. There are no attachments for him in the mortal world, there is no one he would hate to see suffer. There is no one he will deeply miss if they were gone. Therefore, he fears death the most, because it is something that ends everything physically. He believes that there is nothing after death, nothing physically, nothing solid he can touch and feel, and because of this, he is afraid of it. Do not forget, he worked for years on a way to make himself immortal."

"So, he fears death, and doesn't fear love because he has never experienced it?" Harry clarified, and Dumbledore nodded.

"That is correct. And you, my dear boy, happen to be full of love. Different sorts of love for different people. The power that you have is your ability to love. Whether it is the love you hold for Hermione, or the love you hold for your parents. Both are different, but both equally powerful and strong. The power you have against Voldemort is what will destroy him in the end. " Dumbledore sighed, and headed back behind his desk. "I think I've given you enough to think about." He said cheerfully, peering at Harry like he had when Harry had first come in. "Why don't you head back to your common room and tell Ron the good news?"

Harry blinked, his mouth open slightly in shock. "So, I can just go?" He said, shocked at the abruptness of it all.

"Of course," Dumbledore said kindly. "I have many things to do, and I'm sure you would like to think over things, so off you go."

Harry nodded dazedly and walked out of the headmaster's office, his head swimming with what he had just been told.

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Hi everyone! Happy New Year and hello 2005! Sorry about the last chapter, I know it wasn't in the Christmas spirit and all that, but it had to be done! Thank you for all the reviews as well! You guys rock my new and stripy socks!

Elsawriter: yep, big battle coming very soon. I'm getting excited! Also, I read your new story and its super cool, so update! I am, now it's your turn!

Thanks to Sam-453 and Selina who helped me with this chapter!

Please review!


	54. Learning to Breathe

Chapter 54. Learning to Breathe

The next day, Harry and Ron arrived at St Mungo's at nine in the morning, armed with chocolates, books and anything else they could think of to keep themselves occupied for ten hours. They were well aware that Hermione possibly might not be awake for the majority of their visit, hence the books and homework. The chocolates, flowers and a teddy bear were for Hermione.

Harry entered Hermione's private room last, not wanting to see what she looked like. Buffy gasped ahead of him, and Harry closed his eyes briefly, dreading what he would see. He opened them again after a few moments, taking in the panelled wood walls, the sparkly blue-grey floor, the portrait of a very angry looking witch on the wall, and the window open with thin white curtains billowing into the room. It smelt odd, clean and full of scents of mugwort and Ashwinder eggs. Near the back wall were several carts stocked full of potion bottles, in all different colours, some transparent. Harry was shocked by the amount that was there, and released bitterly that Hermione needed all of this.

That was when he turned to the bed, where Ron, Lupin and Buffy were crowded around. It was a large, single bed with pristine white sheets. Hermione lay under the sheets, her face pale and white, her lips blue. Her eyes were sunken, her face thin and her hair spread messily across the white pillows. She looked almost dead. There was a table next to her, and Buffy cautiously placed the flowers on it, moving the potion bottles, glasses of water and an empty box of Chocolate Frogs.

There were two seats either side of the bed, bottom shaped imprints on the green cushions. Ron immediately sat down, taking Hermione's hand and staring at her as is he couldn't believe the horror of it all. Lupin started to arrange the flowers and other presents on the shelf above Hermione's bed, while Buffy walked silently to Harry, taking his hand carefully.

"Are you alright?" She asked quietly, but Ron looked towards them at them. Harry nodded dumbly, and Buffy bit her lip cautiously. "You look as if you're about to faint." She whispered quietly, and Harry stared at her. "You should sit down."

"I'm fine." Harry said, but his hands were shaking and his face was pale.

Buffy nodded, unconvinced, but placed an arm around Harry's waist. It was a comforting gesture but Harry did not have the words to tell Buffy how much it meant to him. He figured Buffy would get it though, and continued to stare at Hermione, her appearance getting worse and worse by the minute.

He could not take his eyes off her, and everything Dumbledore had told him the night before was replaying in his mind again. Dumbledore had said that his power was awakening inside of him, and he was scared of it, how could he not? He had to defeat Voldemort with it, and when he had to do that, it had to be stronger than it was now.

But it was already strong, Harry thought to himself. His power was strong; Harry knew deep down that it was. He had felt something awaken inside of him in that moment he had slammed Draco into the wall, something that had not gone away over the past few days. He did not know if this was normal, or it was because looking and thinking about Hermione brought up all sorts of strange feelings he did not want to think about, but Harry couldn't contain it. He wanted to use it. And more than anything, he wanted to murder Malfoy and Voldemort with it.

It was the effect of Hermione that was putting these murderous thoughts into his head. He had not been obsessed about it before, but he was now, especially now that he had seen the damage Draco Malfoy had done to Hermione. Harry could not stop thinking about it, he wanted to hurt Voldemort and Malfoy, those that had done this to her. He wanted them hurt as much as she was, he wanted them crying out in pain, their faces white with the intensity of it, he wanted-

Harry shook himself mentally, and found that his hand, his hand clutching Buffy's, was clammy and was tightening around Buffy's smaller one. She looked at him, her eyebrows raised, and Harry dropped his hand.

"What's wrong? You were squeezing my hand so hard there I thought it was going to drop off." Buffy whispered her green eyes staring at him intently.

Harry didn't look at her, but at the headboard above Hermione's head. He knew that she knew he was avoiding her gaze, but he didn't care. If he told her what he had just been thinking…

"Oh, hello." A falsely bright voice interrupted his thoughts, and Harry looked to the door. It was Hermione's parents.

He should have realised that Hermione's parents were going to be here, how could they not be? And from the appearance of them, it looked as if they had been here for days. Hermione's mother had short, wiry brown hair, as equally bushy as Hermione's. It was going grey at the roots, and it looked tangled and messy as if it had not been brushed for days. There were bags under her eyes, her nose and cheeks were pink and her eyes were red from crying. Mr Granger was balding slightly, with short brown hair that was more respectable than Mrs. Granger's. He had a thin mouth that was set firmly on his pale face, stern eyes hidden behind owl glasses. They both wore wrinkled clothes that looked as if it hadn't been changed for several days.

"Hello Mrs Granger, Mr Granger." Lupin said quietly, stepping forward and shaking their hands. "I'm one of Hermione's teachers at Hogwarts. No doubt you've heard about Ron, and Harry." Lupin said, pointing to the both of them. "And this is Harry's aunt, Buffy Summers."

Mrs and Mr Granger nodded. Mr Granger's eyes kept on flicking between Harry's face and Hermione limp body on the bed.

"We've heard about you two boys. Hermione talks about you a great deal." Mrs Granger said, her voice throaty and dry.

"We're sorry to intrude." Buffy said quietly. "It's just that the boys wanted to see Hermione."

"Understandably, understandably." Mr Granger said, moving past Lupin to stand next to Hermione's bed, on the opposite side of where Ron sat.

"And will you be staying the entire day?" Mrs Granger asked, looking between Lupin and Buffy.

"Until around seven, when we have to take the boys back." Buffy said, and Mrs Granger nodded.

"But we do not have to stay if you do not want us to." Lupin said kindly, and Mrs Granger smiled, but it did not reach her eyes.

"No, no, I think it'll be good for you four to stay with her. As it happens, I need a quick sleep and shower, so I think we'll head back to the hotel, leaving you four to look after her. Is that alright with you?" Mrs Granger asked, and Buffy nodded.

"It's perfect. We don't want you to worry about her, if anything happens-"

"Which it shouldn't-"Lupin interjected.

"We'll give you a call." Buffy finished, and Mrs Granger sighed with relief.

"Ok, that's perfect. I've wanted to get out of these clothes for days, I feel like a tramp!" She joked, but no one laughed, and it looked as if she was in no mood to laugh either. "Well, we shall see each other later, hopefully. I'm very glad you all came, it's wonderful that Hermione has such great friends supporting her."

Harry felt a pang of guilt, and found that Mr Granger was looking between him and Ron, as if saying what Harry was thinking…if they were such great friends, why did they let this happen?

Mrs Granger kissed Hermione lightly on the forehead and brushed the small tendrils of curls off her forehead. She whispered something to Hermione, not seeming to care that Hermione was asleep, and could not hear her. Mr Granger did the same, although he stayed by her side longer, and had a guilty look on his face; as if that it was his fault that she was lying in hospital, because he hadn't been there to protect her.

"We'll leave you to it." Mrs Granger said, smiling faintly and shutting the door.

Silence enveloped the room yet again, and Lupin looked carefully from Ron to Harry, both faces expressionless.

"Well, I think I'm going to get some coffee." Lupin said.

"Me too." Buffy said, after catching Lupin's eye. "We'll be outside boys, if you want anything."

Harry nodded his thanks, and the pair of them left the room.

Silence descended again in the room, and Harry looked to where Ron was-holding Hermione's hand and staring at her.

Some inexplicable emotion rose inside Harry, causing his vision to cloud over, focusing only on Ron's hand on Hermione's.

"When do you think she'll wake up again?" Ron asked in a strangled voice, drawing Harry out of his daze.

"Dunno." Harry said flatly, the feeling still there in his chest. It was the same one that had taken hold of him whenever he saw Ron with his family, or when Ron had gotten Prefect instead of him, or when Dudley had gotten a TV for his eighth birthday, or when he watched Cho dance with Cedric Diggory at the Yule Ball. It took him a moment to realise that what he was feeling was jealousy, jealousy like he had never felt before, stabbing him in the heart and spilling out, for the world to see, except, no one noticed.

And when he realised what this emotion was, he also realized that he was jealous of Ron, and the position that he was in. The literal position he was in. It confused him, but it also made everything else clearer for him, albeit in a small way.

He sat in the chair opposite Ron, and his best friend looked up. And then Ron swallowed nervously, and sank back in his seat. Harry noticed he had let go of Hermione's hand.

_Was it that obvious?_, he thought to himself. Was the jealousy so clear on his face that Ron could see it?

"You alright mate?" Ron asked, his voice cutting through his thoughts. Harry's answer was a simple shrug, and Ron sighed. "Giving me the silent treatment again, are you?"

"No." Harry said firmly, and Ron grinned.

"What did Dumbledore talk to you about yesterday?" Ron asked curiously.

"Nothing." Harry replied, and Ron narrowed his eyes.

"You sure?"

"Positive."

There was a silence after that, and Harry could almost see Ron getting angrier and more frustrated.

"I don't like it when you keep secrets from me." Ron said, through clenched teeth.

"I don't like Snape, but I still have Occlumency with him, don't I?" Harry responded coldly, and Ron groaned.

"What is your bloody problem?" He said loudly, his face turning red.

"Nothing's wrong with me, I'd say it was you who had the problem." Harry replied.

"Oh yeah? How's that?"

"Well you're the one turning beetroot, not me. I'd say you got some sort of skin condition." Harry said cruelly.

Ron stared at Harry, his face turning even redder, his mouth set in a grim, firm line. "I don't know what your problem is, but I'm sick of it."

"Oh yeah? Why's that?"

Ron glared at him. "You're so bloody moody-"

"Hormones-"

"You never give me a straight answer-"

"I'm a teenager."

"You're not doing your homework-"

"Sorry, mum."

"And you keep secrets from me!" Ron finished loudly, his face now the colour of a tomato, he was so angry. But it wasn't that that got Harry, it was something else. For the first time, Ron looked spent. He looked fed-up and exhausted. There was something in his eyes that nagged Harry-Ron was tired of fighting, tired of arguing. He was tired of it, and he just wanted to know what was going on.

It was that that melted Harry's resolve, and Harry ran a hand through his hair, sighing. "I'm sorry. I've got a lot on my plate at the moment."

"Well, why don't you tell me, and I can help." Ron said quietly, and Harry glanced at him. "Alright, I'm no Hermione, I won't be able to fix it, but…I just want to know what's going on. I'm sick of being kept in the dark."

Harry smiled apologetically. That was exactly how he felt during the summer of fifth year, when everyone had been spending time at the Order, and Harry did not know anything.

"I'll tell you, but it's not something you can spread around."

"I won't. But how big can it be? I mean, it's not like you've got the fate of the world on your shoulders, have you?" Ron joked, but Harry did not even smile.

"Got it in one."

The grin on Ron's face faded as quickly as it had come. "What…what do you mean?"

Harry sighed, and leant his elbows on his knees. "You know last year, when we saw all those prophecies at the Department of Mysteries, and there was one about me?"

Ron nodded, the colour draining out of his face, as if he knew what was coming. "Yeah, I remember."

"Well, the prophecy is about me and Voldemort." Ron winced at that, but Harry kept on going. "Basically, it means that Voldemort chose me to be his equal, all those years ago when he killed my parents. I was marked as his equal, by my scar. And that means that only I have the power to stop Voldemort."

Ron looked as is he had seen a ghost, his mouth was wide open, all colour had drained from his cheeks, and his eyes were widened. Harry could literally see the cogs turning in Ron's head as he made sense of it all. "So, you're the only one that can stop him?" He said, his voice dry and squeaky.

"Yeah. But, the prophecy says that _'neither can live while the other survives'_. Which basically means, if I'm dead, Voldemort's won. No one can stop him."

"And if you live, that means You-know-who's dead, for good?" Ron asked, and Harry nodded. "And only you have the power to save him?" Harry nodded is again. "So, what is that power?"

Harry sighed. "You know when we were up in the tower, with Malfoy and Hermione?" Ron nodded, his face darkening. "Remember when I lost my wand, and then Malfoy got pushed backwards by an invisible force into the wall?"

Ron gaped. "That was your power. That is your power!"

Harry shrugged. "That was what the talk yesterday was about. My power. Dumbledore said that my power is love, and I can do anything with it, and so when I saw Hermione…"

"You were filled with love and almost killed Malfoy." Ron finished quietly, his face becoming pale again.

"Yeah." Harry sighed. "It's hard to explain, because I don't fully understand it myself…but that's the gist of it."

Ron still looked as if he had been run over by the Hogwarts Express; his eyes were unfocused on an invisible spot on the bed clothes.

"Ron?" Harry asked quietly. "You alright?"

Ron nodded, swallowing. "So, you love Hermione then?" He said, in a strangled, dry voice.

Harry furrowed his eyebrows. "Yeah, I do." He said firmly, and Ron sighed, looking down at his feet.

And then he realized something.

Flashes of memory came back to him at that moment, Ron's jealousy of Krum at the Yule Ball, Ron's sharp reaction to Hermione saying that Harry was a good kisser, Ron's jealousy over Krum's letters…

Harry inwardly groaned, and glanced at Ron again, telling himself that it wasn't true, but knowing, deep down that it was.

Ron was in love with Hermione.

How had he not noticed it before? The clues were so obvious, staring at him right in the face, jeering and laughing. Every moment was staring at him right in the face, and Harry was wondering how he could have missed it.

But did Hermione love him in return?

It was a simple question, and if Harry had been a proper friend, he would have hoped that Hermione was, so that Ron could be happy. But he was feeling the opposite. He found himself wishing that Hermione was not in love with Ron, and the more he thought about it, the more he persuaded himself that she was not. Ron's love was unrequited, Harry told himself.

And then he looked back at Ron, and upon seeing that forlorn, lost and devastated expression on Ron's face, Harry made up his mind at what he had to do.

"She's one of my best friends. I'm not _in _love with her, or anything." Harry said loudly, and Ron looked up sharply, a hopeful expression on his face, something that made Harry feel guilty.

"Really?"

"Yeah, honest." Harry said.

"'Cos…I like her like that…you know?" Ron said shyly.

"Yeah, I know. It's cool." Harry said again, his tone empty, his face expressionless.

"You sure? You're not in love with her or anything?" Ron asked, looking like a child that had just been given a hundred lollipops.

"Me? No, I don't love Hermione. You go for it Ron." Harry said, feeling that cold stab of jealousy in his chest again.

Harry didn't love Hermione like Ron did. He was sure of that. Sure, he thought her about her a lot, she helped him through every bad situation he had ever been in, she was incredibly loyal to him and they hardly ever fought and he was grateful for that, and he wasn't quite sure what he would do if she ever left…but he didn't love her. He wasn't _in _love with her. He wasn't. He wasn't.

Wasn't he?

-

Yeah, I know, I took a very long time to update and I really didn't mean to, but time flies when you have exams. Or rather, it doesn't, but I had exams so I couldn't update.

Well, anyway, thank you for all the reviews and for the people who have been bugging me to update (you know who you are)!

The next chapter should be up soon, because I have it written and realised that this chapter isn't as eventful as I would have liked it to have been. Anyway, please review!


	55. Mr Brightside

In reference to the title: I needed a title for the chapter, I was listening to the Killers, and inspiration struck. Or something like that.

Thinking up chapter titles is _hard_ ok?

Chapter 55.

Buffy sat on the cushioned grey chairs in the corridor, both hands clutching her coffee. Lupin sat next to her, in the same position as her, but blowing softly on his tea.

Buffy giggled.

Lupin looked at her, arching a brow.

Buffy giggled some more.

"I'm holding hot tea; I doubt you'll like it if it goes down your back." Lupin threatened, but there was mirth in his eyes.

Buffy giggled again.

"I assure you, I'll do it." Lupin said seriously, moving the tea carefully over to Buffy's lap.

Buffy giggled again.

Lupin moved the tea up above Buffy's head, giving a stern glance. "I will do it. And it'll ruin you're pretty hair."

"No! Not the hair!" Buffy said loudly and mockingly.

A mediwitch down the corridor glared at them, and pressed her finger to her lips, 'sshing' them.

"Look what you've done." Buffy said crossly. "Acting all immature."

Lupin glanced at her again, arching one of his eyebrows. Buffy giggled, and Lupin rolled his eyes. "Stop giggling." He said in a stern voice, but he was smiling.

"Sorry, but you reminded me of Giles, blowing on your tea like that." Buffy explained, and Lupin once again looked at her, arching a brow.

Buffy giggled.

"Merlin help me." Lupin said, rolling his eyes.

"What? You look all sexy Remus like that." Buffy said truthfully, and Lupin laughed.

"Merlin please take this woman away from me." Lupin said, grinning.

"Hey!" Buffy said, louder than she should have, but she ignored the mediwitch who was throwing disapproving glances their way.

"How Sirius copes with you, I'll never know." Lupin joked, and Buffy grinned.

"We have our ways."

Lupin thought for a moment, then nodded. "Yes, you're both as crazy as each other."

"I'm definitely saner, I have you know." Buffy defended, and Lupin grinned.

"Yes, I imagine so." He sighed, drinking some of his tea, thinking again. Buffy watched him intently as he did so, noticing all the prominent lines on his face, the grey patches of his hair that used to be blonde.

He glanced at her then, a reminiscent look on his face. "You know, if Lily and James could see us now, I think they'll be happy."

Buffy smiled softly. "Really?"

Lupin nodded. "Yes. Harry's grown up to be a wonderful, responsible young man, and although that was nothing to do with you, Sirius or myself, I'm sure Lily and James are grateful. I don't think they could have dreamed for a better child than Harry is now."

Buffy nodded, glancing at the door to her right, the one where Hermione and the boys were in.

"And for you and Sirius to find love in each other, well, although I don't doubt it wasn't Lily's first choice for you, I think they'll be glad to know that you have each other." Lupin said insightfully.

"And you?" Buffy asked quietly.

Lupin smiled tiredly. "Well, I've had it best haven't I? I haven't been dead or evil or anything of the sort." Lupin said brightly, but Buffy got the feeling it was forced.

"No, you weren't, but you were the one who had to watch them all go away. You were there when I disappeared, and when Lily and James died, and when Sirius went to Azkaban and when Peter was thought to be dead. You were the only one left."

Lupin nodded sadly. "And it got worse, to know that Peter was the betrayer. I had Sirius back, but then he went after a while of course."

"I brought him back." Buffy said quietly.

"And that I am most grateful for." Lupin said, taking her hand. "I got you and Sirius back, all in the same week. Or month. I cannot remember." Lupin smiled. "And as long as you two don't disappear, then I'm set. My life is perfect."

Buffy smiled sadly. She leant her head on his shoulder, feeling the cheap, scratchy material under her cheek, but she didn't mind, because it was still Remus. Her Remus, the one who smelt the same from fifteen years before.

"I'm so sorry that you had to see all of that." Buffy said quietly.

"Me too." Lupin whispered. "Me too."

-

It was three in the afternoon when Hermione woke. Ron had been reading a Quidditch magazine, and Harry had been doing his Potions homework on the bed. Chocolate wrappers lay on the bed, on the floor. Cups of coffee, tea and bottles of butterbeer were strewn all over the place. Harry had discarded his robe and was wearing a pair of jeans and a shirt, Ron had too and was wearing his Weasley jumper.

They hadn't talked since Harry had told Ron about the prophecy. It had seemed to put a damper on the already sad mood, and both boys were not up to talking. But Harry could see that Ron wanted to know more, but was just afraid of asking.

Sighing, Harry put down his quill and glared at Ron, who had been tapping on the floor with his foot. Ron glanced up and grinned sheepishly.

"Sorry. Habit." He said, and Harry shrugged.

"Don't worry about it; I'm sick of studying anyway." He said, leaning back on his chair and closing his eyes.

They were silent for a few moments, both listening to the rain fall quietly outside, the sounds of people walking outside and Buffy and Lupin talking in the hallway outside the room. Harry titled his chair back on its hind legs, his eyes still closed, exhausted from the last couple of days. When his chair was straightened up again, and he opened his eyes, he found that Ron was looking at him curiously.

"What?" Harry asked impatiently, when Ron didn't say anything.

"I was just wondering about something."

"Well?"

"Who else have you told about the prophecy?" Ron asked.

"The adults all know. But you're the only one out of my friends that do." Harry said truthfully.

"When are you going to tell everybody else?" Ron asked.

"Well, it's not something I'm planning to advertise." Harry said, and Ron grinned.

"Well, what about Hermione?" Ron asked.

Harry bit his lip. "I dunno. I'll tell Hermione when I'm ready to, just not yet."

"Tell me what?"

Harry and Ron sharply looked at Hermione, shocked to find that she was awake-her eyes were half open, tired but awake. She had a small smile on her face as she looked between her two best friends, and she lifted both her hands and placed them on her theirs.

"Hi guys." She said groggily, and Harry grinned.

"Hey you." He said quietly. "How are you feeling?"

Hermione sighed quietly. "Alright I guess. It hurts sometimes." She said.

"I'm glad you're alright." Ron said, smiling down at her.

"We were worried." Harry said. "But you came through, which is great."

"Thanks for saving me." Hermione said quietly. "My knight in shining armour." She said softly. "Both of you." She added quickly, looking towards Ron as well. "Thank you both."

"It was nothing." Ron said, and Hermione smiled slightly, biting her bottom lip.

"Hungry?" Harry joked, and Hermione smiled.

"No, it's just… I need to talk to you." Hermione said quietly, looking at Harry, but then her eyes shifted to Ron. And then back to Harry. "Can we have some privacy Harry?"

Harry's heart sank, the look on Ron's face absolutely disgusted him-he looked delighted-and Harry wanted nothing more to punch it right off. He looked at Hermione, locking gazes with her, but her eyes portrayed nothing except exhaustion. He kept a neutral face and got out of his chair, turning his back on the pair of them and walking out of the room without a goodbye.

The door shut behind him, and Harry stood in the doorway, dismayed. He looked to the chairs against the panelled wooden walls and saw that Buffy was leaning on Lupin's shoulder with his arms around her, in a friendly way. Her eyes were closed, but at the sound of the door shutting, her eyes fluttered open and she smiled at Harry.

"She's awake." Harry said crossly, before Lupin and Buffy could ask. "She's talking to Ron. Privately." He said bitterly, stalking to the chairs opposite Buffy and Lupin and sitting down with a huff. Lupin and Buffy exchanged knowing glances.

"What about?" Buffy asked gently.

"Who cares?" Harry said in a casual and careless manner. He sighed, grabbing a copy of Witch Weekly from the table next to his chair, starting to read about how to feng shui a living room.

After a few minutes, he got sick of reading that garbage and his mind started to wander, as did his eyes, to the door when Ron and Hermione were talking. He wanted to know what they were talking about that Harry couldn't be involved in. The look on Ron's face when Hermione asked Harry for some privacy was still fresh in his mind, and suddenly he wasn't worried about what they were saying, but rather at what they were doing. Harry stood up with another huff and stalked over to the door, pausing with his hand on the handle. He sighed and ran a hand through his already messy hair, and turned around, sitting back on his chair while ignoring the amused looks of Buffy and Lupin. He wanted to know what they were doing, but he did not want to burst in like a manic, seeing their tongues down each others throat. But he desperately wanted to see what they were doing.

He jumped up again, striding to the door determinedly, placing his hand on the cold metal, turning it slightly-but his resolve failed him again and he sat back down.

Buffy stared at him as if he were mad.

Harry glared at the door, his arms crossed in front of his chest. His eyes no longer sparkled, he was cold and angry and he wanted no more than to remove Hermione from that room.

He wasn't sure how long he sat there, glaring at the door, but it felt like hours had passed when Ron finally opened the door. Harry leapt up as Ron closed the door behind him, but, deciding it was too enthusiastic, Harry shoved his hands in his pockets, trying to act casual.

"So?" Harry asked, and Ron looked at him quizzically.

"So what?"

Harry resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "What did you talk about?" He asked, trying to act as if he didn't care.

"Uh, mainly you." Ron replied.

"Me?" Harry asked, confusion written all over his face.

"Yeah, you." Ron said, looking very much like Harry did.

"Uh, there were some other things we talked about." Ron blushed then, and Harry felt his anger start to come back again. "Uh, well, she wants to speak to you now." Ron said, and Harry nodded, shooting him a suspicious look but opening the door and walking in the room.

Hermione was lying on her bed, her head propped up by fluffy pillows. She was nervously eating a chocolate frog and examining the card. Harry closed the door behind him and Hermione looked up, smiling.

"Hi." Hermione said in a bright but quiet voice. "Do you want some chocolate? I think Ginny went a bit overboard, don't you?"

Harry looked to the large pile of different sweets and cakes by Hermione's bed.

"No, I'm alright." He said quietly, inspecting all the different chocolates and gifts on her bed and table. But he could feel Hermione staring at him, and he tried to resist the urge to look up. "So are you feeling better?" He asked, snatching for a question to end the uncomfortable silence.

"You're not alright, are you?" She said. Straight to the point, as usual, Harry thought, smiling slightly. "I mean, Ron told me that you hardly talked to anyone or showed up to your classes and when you did you didn't do any homework…" She sighed, frustrated. "Clearly, you're not alright."

"I'm fine, Hermione, honest." He said, avoiding her eyes.

"Then look at me." She said softly, and after a moment Harry did and saw her eyes shining with tears.

"I'm fine Hermione. Really I am." Harry lied.

Hermione shook her head. "No you're not. And look, I'm sorry about what happened with Dra-Malfoy. I really am, and I got it all wrong and I know I was stupid and you can shout at me because of it, but I really am sorry and I'm even sorrier that I shouted at you." She said in a rush, wiping furiously at her eyes with the heel of her hand.

Harry stood at the foot of the bed, fiddling with a piece of loose thread from the sheets. "I was trying to look out for you."

She nodded. "I know that, now I know that, and I'm so stupid and so sorry for doubting you. Do you forgive me?" She asked, looking at Harry as if his answer meant life or death to her.

He sighed, running his hand through his hair again. He turned away from her and leant against the end of the bed, unable to look at her for longer. "I do forgive you." He said softly.

"So, we're ok then?" Hermione asked tentatively.

Harry nodded, turning around to face her. "Yeah, we're good."

Hermione sighed with relief, but afterwards stared at Harry, unblinking, her gaze never wavering. "Tell me."

"Tell you about what?" Harry asked, frowning.

"Whatever it is that is on your mind at the moment." Hermione said.

"Nothing." Harry lied. "I was just worried about you."

Something flared up in Hermione's eyes but it was gone before Harry could see what it was. "I know you were worried, and I'm sorry for making you so. But I want to know what else is wrong with you. You're mind is somewhere else, I can tell." Hermione said knowingly.

"My mind is here." Harry said.

"What have you kept secret this year? You've been acting like this since last June, like you've got the world on your shoulders. Even more so now than ever." Hermione said, looking at him curiously, at his reactions to what she was saying. "It's about the prophecies isn't it? It's about that prophecy about you and Voldemort, the one that he wanted last year. That's it isn't it?"

Harry smiled at Hermione's ability to tell what was wrong with him, and sat down on the chair next to her. Her eyes flew wide as he realised that he was confirming what she had just said. "What's the prophecy about?" She asked quietly.

Harry sighed, and unveiled the prophecy for the second time that day. As he talked, Hermione's eyes grew wider and her mouth opened in shock. Finally, when Harry had finished, Hermione's hand was covering her mouth and her eyes shined with tears. Harry sighed; it felt so good let people know the truth. Now, his two best friends knew about the prophecy, and it felt like a huge weight had been lifted from his chest.

"So…you're the only one who can kill Voldemort?" Hermione said slowly. "And if he kills you, he can never be stopped?" Harry nodded, and Hermione closed her eyes. "How are you supposed to kill him? You're sixteen years old!"

"Well, there's this other prophecy…"

Hermione eyes flickered open.

"There are only two curses that can kill me and Voldemort. It isn't the simple Avada Kedavra, it's different. And the problem is, no one ever heard of them. Well, except Angel."

Hermione frowned. "Angel? How has he heard them?"

"He was there when the curses were prophesized. He was the one who killed Cassandra Trelawney-"

"The famous seer." Hermione finished, looking at Harry. "I read about her, surprisingly." She smiled. "She was a great Seer, but because of her talents, she was never allowed to do any magic. People were always calling on her to tell them their fortune. She died quite young, for a witch." Hermione told Harry.

"That's…interesting." Harry said without much enthusiasm and Hermione giggled.

"It is." She said firmly. "Anyway, how are we going to find out what the curses are?"

"Willow's working on it. She thinks the answer will be in Wiccan magic. Buffy said she's quite good at these kinds of things."

Hermione nodded, pleased. "Good. Well, as soon as I can get out of this hospital, I'll help you. I'm sure there are some things in my books that will be of use."

Harry bit his lip, and glanced at Hermione. "I don't think you'll be able to get out of here anytime soon, Hermione." He said quietly. Hermione nodded, her eyes drifting down to her lap. "I'm sorry-I didn't mean to-"

"Don't worry about it." Hermione said, waving casually at Harry. "I know you didn't mean to upset me, and it's the truth isn't it. I'll be staying here for quite a long time, won't I?"

Harry nodded. "Here or at Hogwarts."

"Well if at Hogwarts I can be with you and Ron and we can find something to help you." Hermione said.

"I don't need help." Harry said firmly. "I can do this on my own. Anyway, look what happened-Voldemort picked you to attack because you're my friend. If you and Ron get involved even more-"

"We could get hurt." Hermione finished, and Harry nodded. "Well, I don't know about Ron, but I would go crazy if I didn't know how you were doing and if I couldn't help." Hermione said firmly. She placed a cold hand on his and squeezed it gently. "Harry, you're my best friend. And I have to help you. I want to help you."

Harry smiled at her, glad that Hermione would be there for him. He knew that there was no way he could get through the war with Voldemort by himself, and he knew he was crazy to think he could be before.

-

Quick update! I bet none of you expected me to update so soon, but here I am! I felt kind of bad about the last chapter, how it was sort of uneventful, so I updated with this even more uneventful chapter…but there will be events soon! I can promise you that, in fact, the next chapter will be very eventful! Preview time!

_-Next chapter-_

_The blonde vampire daintily slipped across the room to the old woman, holding her hands by her sides, ignoring the screams._

"_Did you forsee this?" Said the male vampire, walking slowly across the room. The female vampire let the woman go, and she backed away from the approaching vampire, until her back was pressed against the colourful tapestries. _

"_Please…" She begged, tears streaming from her tired eyes. "Don't hurt me." _

_-_

Please review!


	56. The Ritual

Chapter 56. The Ritual

Time sped by at Hogwarts after that. Now that Harry had told Ron, he was offering to help in any way that he could, and Harry was very grateful. After a few weeks, Hermione was transferred to the hospital ward at Hogwarts, where she could remain under surveillance until she was well enough to resume her studies again. Ron and Harry spent as much time as they could with Hermione in the lonely hospital wing, talking and researching into the curse.

There were not many attacks on the wizarding population; however the attacks on the Muggles increased and they became even more aware that something was going wrong. Talks around the country were held and the Muggle Liaison Office decided to intervene and feed the Prime Minister a story for the reason of the attacks. What the story was, no one knew, but crisis seemed to be averted as the British population calmed.

However, sometime in March, another crisis rose. Darla escaped.

Everyone was so busy researching and finding a way to extract the curse from Angel's mind that hardly anyone was paying attention to Darla when she slipped out of the castle one night. No one doubted where she had gone. The urgency to find the curse in order to kill Voldemort increased. They knew how Voldemort would kill Harry but that was of no use to them. And if Darla knew of the curses, which she undoubtedly would, Voldemort could attack at anytime.

Late one night, in the suite where they all lived, Buffy, Faith, Willow, Sirius and Angel sat on sofas, chairs or on the floor, books spread out in front of them. It was how they spent most of their time, researching into ways to free the curse from Angel's mind but no one had found even a theory of how to get it out.

Buffy sighed, closing the book shut with a thump. Eyes flew to her and she shrugged. "It wasn't helping."

"None of these books are." Faith said, also closing hers. "This is hopeless. We've gone through pretty much every book in Hogwarts, there's not much else we can do." Faith complained.

Angel pulled out a stack of books from behind his sofa. "Here. Giles got them from his private collection at home. We can get started on that."

Buffy groaned. "Great, more books. If anybody hadn't noticed, I'm not research gal."

"Neither am I yo." Faith said, eying the new books with disdain. "I think I'm gonna turn in." She said, standing up and stretching.

"Wait." Willow said sharply, bent over a large book, with her nose in it. "I found something."

It was like a magic word-as one, everyone got up and gathered around Willow's table. A grin was forming on the red head's face as she read, her eyes scanning the page. "This is it." She whispered, but the words echoed around in the room like a spell. "This is it." She glanced up at Angel and Buffy, smiling. "This is it." She looked down at the page again, and suddenly her grin disappeared. "Oh."

"What is it Red, you're killing us here." Faith said desperately.

Willow looked up, locking eyes with Buffy. "It's dangerous."

"How dangerous?" Angel asked. "Whatever it is, I can handle it."

Next to Buffy, Sirius scoffed.

"For both of you. It says that the subject and someone else, someone strong like a slayer, has to be in some sort of trance. And their minds are transported to some place-it unclear where. But basically, the slayer will have to take a series of tests to get to the place where the knowledge is kept. If she passes the tests, she gets the knowledge, but if she doesn't pass the tests…both the subject and slayer will suffer…" Willow gulped and looked up to Angel. "Well, it won't be pretty."

Angel glanced at Buffy, and she nodded, knowing what he was asking of her. "We'll do it." Angel said.

"Wait, Buffy no." Sirius said apprehensively. "It's dangerous, you could die…can't Faith do it?"

"Hey!"

Sirius smirked. "Sorry, it's just that I like Buffy more than I like you."

"Favouritism." Faith muttered under her breath.

"I think Buffy should do it." Willow said. "Look Faith, you're strong and all, but-"

"I'm not as powerful as Buffy." Faith nodded in agreement. "I know. And while I hate to see you in danger Buff, I think you're the only one who can do it. And I'm kinda glad I won't die in the process of all this."

"Can we not have two people? Faith and I both go into Angel's mind?" Buffy asked and Willow, but the red head shook her head.

"No, it has to be one." Willow read from the book.

"Can I take any weapons with me?" Buffy asked, and Willow shrugged.

"I dunno. If your mind thinks you have weapons, then I guess you will-think of it like the Matrix Buffy."

"Whatever the mind believes, it seems real." Buffy whispered and Willow nodded. "And if I die in one of these tests-"

"You die here too. The body cannot live without the mind." Willow quoted and Buffy smiled. "Sorry." Willow blushed. "I love that film."

"So it's settled." Angel interrupted, smirking at Sirius who looked lost. "We'll do it?"

"We'll have to pitch it to Dumbledore and Giles, make sure its ok to do, but yeah, I guess we can do it." Buffy nodded, glancing at Angel.

* * *

"No. Absolutely not."

"Giles what's so wrong about it?" Buffy pleaded and Giles looked at her through his glasses.

"Many things. One being the fact that you could die, Angel also." Giles said sternly.

"Giles, it's our only chance." Willow said, pleading also.

"I'm sure it's not your only chance-"

"We've looked through all the books; this is the only thing there is." Buffy said.

"Even the books I brought yesterday?" Giles asked, curiously.

"Yes. Even those." Buffy lied and Giles glanced at her, his gaze penetrating. Finally he sighed and sank down onto a chair, giving up.

Willow grinned at Buffy, and Buffy placed a hand on Giles' shoulder. "I'll be careful, I promise." She said sincerely, and Giles nodded, looking thoroughly unhappy with the idea.

"When would you like to do this?" Dumbledore asked unsurely, glancing between Angel and Buffy.

"As soon as we can I guess." Buffy said, looking at Angel. He nodded and then looked at Willow who was reading over the book with Lupin.

"Is there anything that we can do to prepare or something?" He asked, and Willow shook her head.

"As long as Buffy is good with the fighting, then that's pretty much it. I'm not quite clear what you have to do Angel, but I'm sure you'll figure it out when it comes to it." Willow said, shooting an apologetic glance Buffy's way.

Buffy nodded, butterflies forming in her stomach. "And you don't know what kind of tests I should be expecting?"

"Physical, most likely." Willow replied and Buffy nodded.

"It's what I'm good at." She whispered.

Dumbledore looked between them, a frown forming on his face. He seemed torn, and the ache in his forehead was similar to Giles. They both watched Buffy as she bit her lower lip, Willow as she wrung her hands nervously and Angel as he looked out of the window, into the night sky. A battle was won inside of Dumbledore, and finally he spoke.

"The procedure should take place in your suite, Buffy. No more than five people should be in the room, and they must be silent so not to bother the two of you. I would in fact like to be present at this time, and I expect Willow, Rupert, Xander and Sirius would like to as well. Very well then. We shall convene at Buffy's suite at midnight. I suggest Angel and Buffy get some rest beforehand. The rest of you, do not be late."

He left, his midnight blue robes swishing out behind him and the portrait closed with a click. Buffy glanced at Sirius, who had an indifferent look on his face, his arms were folded across his chest and he stared dully at her. She glanced at Willow, who was chewing her lower lip and slipped out of the room.

* * *

Hours later, and Buffy lay on her bed, her eyes closed in an effort to sleep. But she couldn't, she was too nervous, but at the same time, excited. If the procedure worked, then it meant that Harry could finally defeat Voldemort. But if it didn't, and something went wrong-

Buffy shook her head mentally, forbidding herself to think about it any longer. She would have to concentrate on getting some rest, so she could be on full form when it came to the ritual.

She heard the door open slowly, and heavy footsteps on the floor alerted her to Sirius entering. The bed sank slowly to her left, and she opened her eyes to see him sitting there. She smiled at him, and he gave a small smile back. She sat up, her hands folded on her lap, a frown appearing on her face.

"Are you ready?" He asked, his voice calm and soothing to her.

She nodded, glancing at the time. There was two more hours until she had to start the ritual. "Are you?"

He glanced at her, his eyes dark and fathomless. When he spoke, in quiet, husky tones, it sent chills up her spine. "I'm almost ready."

She swallowed, and moved tentatively towards him, but the distance between them enough so they weren't touching. "I'll be fine." She said soothingly.

Sirius smirked, and glanced up at her, his black hair loose around his shoulders. "I know that. I heard you do this sort of thing all the time."

Buffy smirked, shrugging modestly. "I'm a slayer. It's my job."

Sirius nodded, taking her warm hand in his cold one. Buffy shivered at the feel of it. "I still can't get used to that. But I'm glad for you, and I know you'll be fine." Buffy smiled, leaning in to kiss Sirius. "But-" She groaned inwardly, as Sirius' voice interrupted her movements. "Don't die ok? I might be a little bit upset if you do. Harry too."

Buffy grinned playfully. "Only a little bit upset?"

Sirius nodded thoughtfully, mirth in his eyes. "Yes, only a little."

Buffy smirked, leaning in to kiss him, but missing his mouth and kissed his neck instead. "Only a little? Not a lot?"

Sirius paused. "Um, yes, would have to say a little."

Buffy smiled against his neck, and bit lightly into his earlobe. "Not a lot?"

The pause was longer now, as Sirius fought a mental battle with himself. "Um, yes, a bit more than a little."

Buffy's hand rose up to his neck, and she kissed him softly on his lips. Their bodies drew closer and she whispered in his ear: "Would you miss me a lot?"

"Merlin, yes." He said huskily, and Buffy grinned, kissing him passionately. She felt his arms wrap around her waist, pressing her against his body. Her hands tangled in his hair, and briefly, she thought to herself that what they were about to do would suck a lot of energy out of her. But the thought was gone from her mind as Sirius kissed her neck and laid her on the bed. Her top rose to her neck, and he deftly pulled it off, and she was fiddling with his, when,

"Buffy-" The door opened, the room flooded with light and Buffy groaned and glanced at the doorway, to see Harry standing in the frame, his face as a deep shade of red. His mouth opened and closed once or twice, making him resemble a fish. "I'll come back later." He said, his voice high pitched as he shut the door.

"Harry, don't worry, we weren't doing anything!" Buffy said, pushing Sirius off her and pulling on her top. Sirius gave an indignant cry as Buffy grinned and hurried to the door. "We'll finish this later." She said, before ducking out of the room.

Harry still had not returned to a normal colour, his face was bright red and he refused to look at Buffy. He appeared to be relaxed and unaffected by what he had just seen, but Buffy knew secretly that he was embarrassed to have walked in on them.

Buffy grinned. "You've had the sex talk right?"

Even though he wasn't facing her, Buffy could see the tips of his ears turn a darker red. "Uh, no-but I don't need one."

"Ah, so you're not sexually active." Buffy said knowingly, a grin on her face. She walked across to the other side of the room, so she could see Harry's face. If it was possible, he looked as if he was about to explode from embarrassment, and he glanced at the door, contemplating escape. "You know you have to use protection right?"

"I-I think I'm going to go." Harry stuttered, hurrying to the portrait door.

Buffy giggled, telling Harry to stop. "I was just playing with you." She said, in between giggles. Harry glared at her, but it wasn't heartfelt.

"Can we just talk about this life-threatening ritual you're going to do in two hours?" Harry said, sitting down on the red, plush chair. "It's a less painful topic of conversation for me."

Buffy laughed, but nodded, crossing her legs underneath her. "So, what's up?"

"Don't die." He said truthfully and abruptly. "I don't care if you don't get the curse, I don't want you to die. Again."

Buffy smiled softly at Harry's concern and placed a comforting hand on his knee. "Don't worry, I won't. And I'm sorry you can't be here for it." She said truthfully, and Harry shrugged.

"Doesn't matter. Hermione's going to go through my Potions essay with me, so I have a busy night." He said, with obvious lack of enthusiasm. "She's missed Potions for three months but she still manages to be top of the class and know what's going on." Harry said, completely baffled.

Buffy giggled. "She's like Willow. The brainy one."

Harry nodded. He sighed, standing up at brushing a hand through his hand. Buffy smiled wistfully, he reminded her so much of James when he did that. "Well, I better go. From what I can tell, I have a lot of mistakes in my Potions essay."

Buffy shrugged. "Just get Hermione to do it for you." She carelessly, and Harry raised an eyebrow. "I mean," She said hurriedly, standing up. "Do it yourself. Do everything yourself and don't copy from other people."

Harry grinned. "Good save."

"I thought it was alright."

Harry smirked. Then, without warning, his face contorted in an expression of pain and he clapped his hand to his forehead.

"Harry, are you ok?" Buffy asked concerned, but Harry smiled weakly.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just the scar, its prickling a bit. Nothing to worry about." Harry said, but Buffy wasn't convinced. "Well, I should go." He said casually, glancing back to Buffy's bedroom door. "I'm sure you want to…um…"

Buffy grinned and quickly ushered Harry to the door. "If you go now, Sirius and I could do it many times between now and midnight." She said, half seriously. Harry turned red again, and he looked as if he was going to be sick. Buffy laughed and after he shot her a glare, he stepped out of the room.

* * *

Buffy sat on a comfy purple cushion decorated with sparkly sequins. With their knees just touching, Angel sat on a matching cushion opposite her. Around them stood Sirius, Giles, Xander and Professor Dumbledore in various places around the room. Everyone was silent as Willow drew a circle around Buffy and Angel with red sand. She read out of the book words that Buffy could not understand, but she let the quiet and the dimly lit room scented with candles and incense wash over her, and slowly, she relaxed.

"This is it." Willow whispered, stopping as she finished the circle. "Start to mediate now."

Buffy nodded, and, sending a glance Sirius' way, closed her eyes and started to clear her mind. It was difficult at first, because Willow's words penetrated her mind, and every twitch Angel made, Buffy could feel, but soon, she let the calming atmosphere completely wash over her and her mind was perfectly clear.

She wasn't quite sure how long she was like that, but soon she found herself alone in a large cave, with a tall ceiling and narrow walls. In the middle was a round stone tablet, with a sword stuck in the middle and alight torches fixed around it.

Buffy frowned, waiting for a few moments before taking a step forward towards the tablet. Immediately, several demons stepped out from the wall, having just been camouflaged by the wall. They had large green heads and spiky horns and teeth, and wore heavy armour. Each one held a sword. And all were very pointy.

Buffy glanced around her, as the demons formed a circle around her, trapping her and preventing her from getting the sword in the stone tablet. The demon facing her swung his sword, and she had to lean back, the point of the sword barely missed her stomach.

The demon swung again, lower this time at her feet, and Buffy jumped and kicked her leg out at the demon, her foot impacting with its head. The demon stumbled backwards and Buffy turned her attention on another demon, whose sword was held up high, ready to strike down. Buffy ducked and kicked at the demon's chest, sending it stumbling backwards. She frowned, these demons, though they brandished swords and looked tough, were very slow and not very good fighters at all.

It was not before long that she pulled the sword out of the stone tablet and turned around the kill the demons, but the room had changed and a tunnel stretched out before her, and the light was a pinprick at the end. Buffy's hand immediately flew to her pocket, where she normally kept her wand, but she found it was empty. Her wand was gone. Sighing, Buffy started down the dark and intimidating tunnel, her sword in hand.

The alight torches around the stone tablet provided her with some light, but soon, the light had completely disappeared and she found that she was walking blindly in the dark, and the pinprick of light at the end of the tunnel was not getting any nearer. Her steps were fast but quiet, her instincts alert, her sword ready in her hand in case of a surprise attack.

Time crawled by, and soon she began to let her guard down, she had come across no one in the time she had spent walking down the pitch black tunnel, hugging the wall as she went. She stopped, leaning against the wall and closing her eyes, trying to get her energy back. She was starting to feel drained, even though she knew in real circumstances; she would be able to go on for hours.

And that was when she heard someone, or something kick a stone across the floor, and she stood up, alert and her sword raised high. She could hear someone breathing near her, throaty and low, and she could feel someone by her, her instincts were screaming out. She hugged the wall closer to herself, trying to calm her breathing and keep herself quiet. Her eyes darted about all over the place, but she knew it was hopeless because she could not see a thing.

She was given a moments warning, the sound of an axe slicing through the air, and Buffy ducked as the axe impacted with the stone where her head had just been. She swung her sword at where she thought the demon would be, and she felt her swing being blocked by the heavy axe. The demon pushed against the sword and Buffy stumbled backwards, trying to push back with all her might.

She felt her head bang into the wall as she found herself up against the stone wall. She could hear the demon grunting and breathing, as he pushed the axe against the sword. Buffy kicked out, her foot hitting the demon's calf, but the demon barely noticed and just pushed harder. She felt the demon push the sword up above her head, and with all her might, she kicked both her legs out at the demon. The demon grunted, releasing her sword and stumbling back, away from her. Buffy gasped and pulled the sword back into her, her ears and eyes open for any sign of the demon.

It was pitch black, and she could not hear anything, could not see anything and only felt the biting cold and the comforting sword in her hands. She could hear the demon breathing heavily near her, and she swung out at the air, the sword whistling through the air as she cut it.

But her sword did not strike anything, and she was left feeling even worse than before. She heard the demon chuckle throatily as she swung at the air again, and then she heard a whistling through the air as the axe cut through it, and cut her midriff. Buffy gasped in pain as the axe cut her skin and she put her hand to her stomach and felt warm blood seep through her hands and onto the ground below.

She swung angrily at the air, her stomach hurting her at every movement and finally, she hit something, and the demon yelled in pain. The next few moments were a blur to her as she felt its axe try to strike her, but she blocked it all, her strength almost matching the demon's as she blocked and tried to strike and the demon. She felt the axe's blade cut through her skin again, this time on her upper arm and moments later, lightly skim her cheek, narrowly missing her nose and eye.

She struck again, but every wound hurt her and she was becoming exhausted. She knew she had hurt him three times, and as the axe's blade met her upper thigh, her sword speared the demon's chest and the demon fell back, the axe stuck in her thigh.

Buffy gasped, almost crying from the pain. Her clothes were soaked with blood, her limbs aching and tired, and she dropped her sword and closed her eyes as her hands took hold of the axe's handle. With all her strength, Buffy pulled and she screamed in pain as the axe's blade came out of her body. She could feel blood trickle down her leg and she carelessly threw the axe away from her. She leant against the wall, closing her eyes, her cheeks wet with tears and blood, her hands on her stomach and leg wounds.

When she opened her eyes a few minutes later, the scenery was changed again, but unlike the places she was in before, she was in a large room. It was adorned with colourful furniture, purple sofas and flowery drapery. The room stank of incense, and there were crystal balls on shelves and dainty china cups on eloquently made tables.

A woman entered the room, her face lined with wrinkles and worry lines. She was dressed in a beautiful purple and gold robe, with jewels and gems sparkling from her fingers and hanging from her neck and wrists. Her hair was twisted up and clasped by a purple clip on the top of her head and she neatly bustled about the room, humming a tune and oblivious to Buffy who rested against the wall, blood pooling around her body.

"Help." Said Buffy desperately, her throat dry, her face twisted in pain. "Help me, please."

But the woman continued to hum and tidy things, oblivious to Buffy's calls for help.

And then the door opened again, and two people strode purposefully inside. The woman looked towards the door, and gasped at the sight of their horribly disfigured faces. A young, beautiful blonde woman stood at the door, in a flowing black dress and a tight black corset. She smiled cruelly at the older woman, showing large, pointed teeth. The man hung back at the doorway, long brown hair pulled back by a black ribbon. He wore a sharp black suit, and he seemed to be enjoying the woman's cries for help. Both newcomers' faces were horribly distorted and their eyes gleamed in the light.

"Cassandra, the great Seer." The blonde vampire drawled, daintily slipped across the room to the old woman, holding her hands by her sides, ignoring the screams.

"Did you forsee this?" Said the male vampire, walking slowly across the room. The female vampire let the woman go, and she backed away from the approaching vampire, until her back was pressed against the colourful tapestries.

"Please…" She begged, tears streaming from her tired eyes. "Don't hurt me."

"I'm not one for requests." The male vampire said, licking his lips, now inches away from the old woman.

"Don't…don't…" The woman whimpered, her dainty voice growing quieter. Buffy watched quietly, entranced as the woman slumped against the wall, her eyes staring at a point past the vampire. In a deep, throaty voice, unlike her own, she whispered "_Two curses to kill two wizards, Aequus Lux to kill the wizard, Aequus Malus to kill the Dark Lord…"_

The woman screamed as the vampire sunk his teeth into her neck, and the prophecy ended. The woman's arms were wrapped around the vampire, her futile efforts to beat him off as her hands weakly hit his back did not work, and soon her hands hung limply by her side as her body slid down the wall, a thin line of blood trailing the wall. The vampire licked its lips of blood, and grimaced at the female vampire who had been watching the procedure with undisguised interest.

"Does she taste nice darling?" She asked.

He grimaced again, glancing back at the now dead woman. "She's too old." He said, almost disappointed. "But her blood…"

The female vampire smiled and kissed him softly, taking some of the blood for herself. "It's powerful isn't it?" The male vampire smiled, exposing pointed and blood washed teeth. The female vampire grinned and pressed her body into his, and glanced at the dead woman against the wall. "You should clean this up."

He nodded, and for the first time, his eyes scanned the wall Buffy was leaning against, and stopped as his eyes met hers. Buffy gasped, but before the vampire could do anything, the scene dissolved around them and Buffy found herself back in her suite, thoroughly exhausted but without a scratch on her body. Her eyes met Angel's, his as exhausted as hers, and as one, they fainted and fell back on the plush cushions.

* * *

Thank you for the reviews, you're all awesome!

The next chapters' title is called 'The Beginning of the End'. I think that's the only clue you need to know about what's going to happen. :)

Please review!


	57. The Beginning of the End

Chapter 57. The Beginning of the End.

The revelation of the curse to kill Voldemort lifted everyone's spirits, intentional and suited or not. While still getting used to idea, Harry was at least pleased that if a confrontation between he and Voldemort were to happen anytime soon (as it was nearing the end of the school year); he would finally be able to kill Voldemort. It was a prospect that both scared him and made him happy, for the same reasons. If Harry could kill Voldemort, the wizarding world would be saved, but Harry only admitted to himself that he would not know what to do with himself. For countless years, Voldemort had been after him, and while it was a burden for him, the idea of having a future, of seeing it so clearly for the first time in several years, scared him. In all truth, for a long time, Harry had not expected to have a future, ever since he had found out about the prophecy. His first thoughts had been that he would lose, and he would die, and that would be the end. The idea that he could survive this was even more terrifying than if he didn't.

Harry knew that he was being faced with an identity crisis. If Voldemort died, Harry would be finally free of the constraints Voldemort had posed on his life, and he was thankful for that. But Harry knew that without these constraints, he would have to do some soul-searching. Ever since Voldemort had visited his family home many years ago, Voldemort had defined who Harry was. But if Voldemort died-Harry would finally be able to define who _he_ really _was,_ the normal wizard that he was meant to be.

And that scared him more than anything else.

The fact that he would have to kill him also tore him up, he knew very well that Voldemort was evil, and Dumbledore had said that there was not much human left in him, but Harry felt awful about killing the parts of human that _was _in him. Harry knew that he would have to get used to the idea of taking a human life.

However, he was glad he had told Ron and Hermione about the prophecy. Or at least, Hermione anyway, as Ron was, as usual, not very observant. Hermione knew when Harry was upset or distant at least, and would always tell Ron. Or that was what he gathered whenever Hermione would shoot Ron prodding looks and Ron would suddenly start to talk about the prophecy. Harry was grateful for Ron's unintentional bluntness and stuttering whenever it came to talk about the prophecy and Hermione's level-headedness and firm belief in him. The decision to tell his best friends was, Harry decided, the best decision he had made in a long time.

Both Buffy and Angel had come out of the ritual unscathed, but extremely exhausted, and after they woke up from ten minutes in the state of unconsciousness, Buffy told everyone of the curse and then went straight to bed, to come out the next day at noon. Although he barely knew Angel, Harry was deeply grateful to him for doing this and to Buffy as well as he knew they had risked a lot to find out the curse.

Buffy advised Harry to take it easy for the following weeks, and try to live as normal as possible, but still try to prepare himself for what was to come. Harry did not have the faintest idea of how to do this, he would either be sitting in class, attentive and concentrated on the task at hand, or he would be sitting in class, inattentive, and thinking of how he would get himself to kill Voldemort. He could never do both at the same time, and thinking about Voldemort gripped him with an all-consuming fear.

Whenever he thought of how he would kill Voldemort, he also imagined Hermione and Ron being involved. He could picture killing Voldemort, and in the corner of the scene, he could see Hermione and Ron, looking fearfully at him. He didn't want it like that. Yes, he wanted support, but scared looks would not help him in that situation. He also did not want them getting hurt, as he was sure they would in that situation. After much deliberation about this, he decided that he would in the end, defeat Voldemort alone.

He hadn't told Hermione and Ron this, and he knew what their reactions would be. They would tell him that they wanted to be there for him, and that they could help and they would be there every step of the way and nothing would keep them from being there-he knew all this, because they had already told him numerous amounts of times. To have Hermione nervously bite her bottom lip and tell him with worried eyes that she would be there for him, and Ron with a fearful but determined look on his face saying that he would be there when Harry finished it- the looks and words were all firmly imprinted on his mind, and he felt guilty that he had decided against them being there, but he decided that it was for their own good.

He tried to keep it from them, as he knew what their reactions would be, but he always found it difficult whenever it came to lying to Hermione. Ron was easy to get around, Harry had a lot of practise in lying over the years and could easily look him in the face and lie, but when it came to Hermione, it was different. For the past couple of years, he had found it increasingly difficult to lie to her. Last year, he couldn't look her in eye when he lied, and now, he would find something else to look at and mumble incoherent words and prayed it would make sense to her. And whenever she would nod, seemingly taking in his lies, he would feel incredibly guilty.

He didn't want to lie to her, to any of his friends anymore. He was sick of doing it, sick of keeping secrets and keeping them bottled inside of him, waiting for explosions. But he found him doing so yet again, and as each day passed, he still kept his secrets, and Hermione and Ron were none the wiser.

* * *

The happiest Harry had seen Hermione in the longest time was when Madam Pomfrey told her that she would be well enough to go to the upcoming Hogsmeade weekend in April, just a few days away. Previously, Hermione hadn't been let out in the cold for too long, in fear that she would catch a cold and would not be able to get better because of her weak immune system. However, soon the numbers of potions she had to take dropped and Hermione appeared to be her usual self, which both Harry and Ron were happy about.

The two boys could not wait to take their best friend out of the dreadful castle and into the sunshine and great atmosphere of the wizarding village. Harry idly wondered whether Ron had approached Hermione about his feelings for her, but decided to keep it at the back of his mind. He didn't want to be bothered with that now: it would only add to the pain.

School carried on as normal, and there were several Quidditch practises and meetings for Dumbledore's Army. Everything went well, especially Dumbledore's Army. Ever since Hermione's attack, more people had turned up and paid more attention than ever before. Hermione's attack had left every student wary of others, and while it was good thing, Slytherin was being isolated more than ever before.

Hermione of course frowned upon it. She regularly quoted the Sorting Hats' song from last year to Harry _"unite inside of her or we'll crumble from within"_. Both Ron and Harry disagreed with Hermione, they both thought that Slytherin had enough chances and there was no way they were going to make friends with them. Harry couldn't understand how Hermione could forgive the Slytherins so easily, but she reminded Harry that it was Draco Malfoy and the Death Eaters who had attacked her, not Slytherin house. Hermione proceeded to team up in a Potions experiment with the quietest Slytherin, Blaise Zabini. He had looked a little baffled, but with no Draco Malfoy in the class to call Hermione obscene names, he did not reject her. Pansy Parkinson was too shocked to say anything.

Although Hermione's intentions were good, they did not spark off anything, and Hermione found herself the only one extending the hand of friendship to the Slytherins. Both Harry and Ron silently admired Hermione for doing so, they both realised that this was very much like S.P.E.W and maybe a way of dealing what had happened to her. Harry knew that sometimes, Hermione now found it hard to look past the stereotypical Slytherin and see a real person, but having made friends with the nicest Slytherin in the house, she was soon able to get past it, and deal with her attack.

Harry knew it was something Hermione had to do, so when Hermione asked Harry if Blaise could hang around with them in Hogsmeade, Harry agreed. Neither he nor Ron was happy about this, but neither said anything, so on Saturday morning, Hermione, Harry, Ron, Blaise, Ginny, Luna and Neville set off to Hogsmeade.

Harry found himself falling instep with Neville and Ginny as Luna enthusiastically told Ron about creatures who could fly and had scales. Hermione and Blaise chatted animatedly about something Harry couldn't understand. They entered the Hogsmeade village with smiles on their faces and the sun beating down on them, as wizards and witches alike bustled around the busy high street and surly teachers patrolled.

Both Harry and Ginny noticed the larger numbers of teachers and plainly dressed but alert wizards and witches stationed on corners of streets and outside busy shops. Harry and Ginny exchanged glances, and both of them caught up with Hermione and Ron, telling them as inconspicuously as they could.

Hermione immediately glanced around and shared a look with Harry, twisting a lock of bushy hair around her finger as her eyes spoke volumes to Harry that could be summarized in a few words: _'something is wrong'._

Harry pushed past Blaise and led everyone into the Three Broomsticks, pushing his way past wizards and witches who pointed at his scar with their eyes wide. He took a seat around one of the few empty tables and waited as the others pushed their way through the throngs of people greedily slurping down butterbeer and firewhisky.

"Did you see them?" Ginny asked quietly, her head bent close to the middle of the table. As one, the others leant in to hear her, even Luna, despite looking mildly bored.

"See who?" Ron asked, a crease appearing in his brow and next to him, Harry saw Ginny roll her eyes.

"The Aurors, Ron." Hermione said impatiently, nervously looking around to make sure no one could hear them. "They're everywhere."

Ron's eyes flew wide open and he glanced at Harry. "You don't think there's going to be another attack?" He asked quietly, but no one gave him an answer as they sat back in their stiff-backed wooden chairs.

"It would explain why there are so many here." Neville said quietly, studying the table.

"Surely," Hermione said, her cheeks pink and her eyes bright and shining, "if there was going to be an attack, students would not be able to roam Hogsmeade?"

"Maybe Dumbledore got word of it too late." Blaise said, sounding not too interested in the entire thing but glad to pitch in whatever and whenever he could.

Hermione nodded in agreement, chewing her bottom lip again in nervousness. For a while, Harry thought she was staring at him, but her gaze was rested just above his shoulder, and he turned around, to see a fairly young girl come towards them with blonde curly hair in ringlets and a Weird Sisters t-shirt on.

"Tonks!" Harry hissed, and the young Auror quickened her pace and stood next to Harry's chair, trying not to look out of place with the younger students.

"Wotcher Harry?" Tonks said, and from the corner of his eye, Harry could see Blaise frown.

"Why are there so many Aurors here?" Harry whispered, and Tonks had to strain herself to hear, but she did and she glanced around the room nervously.

"High alert today. Word just got in." Tonks said from the corner of her mouth. "Don't worry, you're in safe hands, but I think it would be best if you went back to Hogwarts." She said, shooting a glance at Hermione.

"Thanks Tonks." Ginny said, and nodding her good byes, Tonks squeezed past the punters and quickly left the pub.

"What does 'wotcher' mean?" Blaise asked immediately, and Harry grinned.

"When we know, we'll tell you."

Ginny smiled and stood up, the chair scraping across the floor. "We should go."

As one, the group stood and made their way outside, pushing their way past customers as yet again, they stared and pointed at Harry's scar. Habitually, Harry flattened his black hair against his forehead and ignored Ron's grin.

"Well that was a waste of a trip." Ginny sighed, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"I was hoping to go to Honeydukes." Blaise said, almost wistfully, and Neville glanced to their left.

"Well, Honeydukes is right there, it wouldn't hurt…would it?" Neville said shyly, looking at Harry.

"If we're quick." Harry said, after a sigh, and hurriedly, Blaise and Neville headed into the shop, talking shyly together. Harry and the rest followed them and squeezed into the shop packed with students from Hogwarts.

Harry and Hermione looked around as the others hurriedly picked out sweets to buy. The shop was filled with them, from floor to ceiling stacked with brightly coloured chocolates and sweets and lollipops, and many students were emptying the shelves of them.

Hermione grinned at Harry, "My parents would go mad if they saw this place." Harry grinned back, idly thinking that Dudley would love to devour this entire shop.

"Maybe you should buy some." Harry said in a conspiring tone. Hermione jokingly looked shocked at the suggestion, but a moment later, took a bundle of brightly coloured sweets in her hands, looking decidedly happy with the knowledge her parents would object to such a thing.

Hermione turned away, and Harry's hand reached out to grab some of the sweets she had just taken to buy when an ear-splitting scream shattered through the pleasant laughter and chatter.

Hermione froze in front of Harry, as did many of the customers in Honeydukes. A second scream, followed by several shorter ones froze the entire shop, as they strained their ears as chaos seemed to erupt outside on the street.

It took only a few moments before the shop door opened and several curious customers looked out, only to scream in fright and run from the shop. The previously built up whispers erupted into frightened yells and shouts and students dropped their purchases and ran out of the shop.

A fairly large girl pushed her way past Harry and he found himself falling back onto the ledges, and he grabbed Hermione's shirt and she fell down with him, both of them ending up on the floor in a tangle of limbs and sweets, and watching the chaos erupt around them.

Immediately, Ron's pale face appeared in front of them, and then Ginny and Luna's and then finally Neville's and Blaise's, each pale and white with fright and nervousness. Young screams penetrated the walls and Harry whipped out his wand, Ron and Hermione following suit.

Harry crept towards the door and looked out, only for the sight to confirm his worst fears-Death Eaters in masks and long black cloaks swarmed the street like wasps, and frightened shoppers were fleeing in every direction. Purple and blue and red and occasionally green beams of light flashed in every direction as plainly dressed Aurors attempted to fight them off and older students tried to protect the younger ones.

Harry promptly shut the door and looked at his friends' pallid faces, each looking to him to leadership. "We have to get out of Hogsmeade." He said, the rest of the shop empty, the owners having already fled. "Don't split up, stick together." Harry said, knowing that none of them wanted a repeat of last year.

"And the Death Eaters?" Hermione asked nervously, her hand shaking.

"Leave them to the Aurors; they're better than we are." Ginny said, and Harry nodded in agreement.

Looking back out to the street, Harry first made sure that there were no Death Eaters near them and when he was sure there was none, he ducked out of the shop, knowing that the others were following him.

The street was a mess. Several shops were on fire, smoke billowing out of the windows and in a torrent into the light sky above. Shopping purchases were strewn all over the floor, as were discarded robes, split coffee and Butterbeer and-Harry felt he was going to be sick-a tiny hand was visible under a mound of clothes.

Harry hugged the shops, anger growing inside of him as he saw Death Eaters mercilessly cursing shoppers and students left and right. There was no where near enough Aurors to match the swelling amount of Death Eaters, who seemed to be appearing right and left. And, to Harry's dismay, several black robed figures strode down the street, snapping necks and when Harry caught sight of their faces, he realised they weren't human-they were demons.

The moment he thought of her, he saw her, fighting her way to them, a wand in one hand, a small dagger in the other, and pushing shoppers out of her way while stabbing demons with a merciless frenzy. Harry ran to her, whipping out his wand and shouting a body binding spell to a Death Eater approaching them, and the relief on her face was evident as he stood in front of her.

"You have to get out of here." Buffy said, her startled green eyes looking left to right, from the increasing piles of dead bodies to the black clothed, masked men that seemed to be multiplying every second.

"_We_ have to get back to Hogwarts." Harry said firmly, as Buffy pushed him down and a beam of red light flew over the tops of their heads. _"Expelliarmus!" _Harry yelled, pointing his wand at the approaching Death Eater, but the Death Eater leapt out of the way and was lost to the fleeing crowds.

Harry ran back towards his friends as they fought off several Death Eaters, some third years crouched behind them, watching the proceedings with fear on their faces. Buffy was on his heels, taking out any demon she could find. He reached them, and saw that Luna already had a large cut on her face, stretched from ear to ear, blood trickling down to her mouth. Hermione had several scratches on her arms, as did Ginny and Neville, but that was the worst of the injuries they had obtained.

"Get back to Hogwarts!" Buffy yelled, sending jinxes and curses to any Death Eater that approached. "Don't help anyone, don't fight, just get yourselves back to school." She said, and with that, she raced back into the crowd and was lost.

Immediately, Harry took off, making sure his friends were closely behind, the third years sandwiched between them. They deflected curses left and right, and were making progress when all of a sudden, the worst happened.

Dementors flew into the street, making the sky seem darker, and the screaming grew louder and everyone ran from the Dementors, towards Harry. Harry knew they had to make a choice, Dementors were in front of them and Death Eaters where behind them, but as the air grew colder and Harry could faintly hear screaming that he knew belonged to his mother, Harry made a decision and ran the way he had come.

The others followed his example, not before Hermione had whipped out her wand and, with her face screwed up, her eyes focused, she yelled _"Expecto Patronum!" _At once, a white glowing otter came out from her wand and charged at the incoming Dementors, but it was not strong enough and the otter faded quickly. Hermione ran back, past Harry, who gave his own Expecto Patronum just as Ron and Ginny did theirs, and a stag, a large dog that reminded Harry of Sirius and a large bird charged at the Dementors, sending some of them tumbling back from them. Satisfied, Harry ran, and realised with a pang that they had lost Blaise, Neville and Luna as well as all the third years.

Deciding not to think about them anymore, Harry dodged curses and spells as he pulled Ginny along with him, Hermione and Ron already sprinting ahead. He saw the two of them turn into a small path, obscured by an overgrown bush and he pulled Ginny by her wrist into the path, and gasped with relief as he saw Hermione and Ron resting against the wall. The path was a dead end, but Harry was relieved for the rest and the time to formulate a plan. He looked back out at the street, still busy as Death Eaters fought with Aurors and now, Dementors swooped down on the pedestrians as they ran.

He turned back to his friends, Hermione, whose head was rested against the wall, her eyes closed, Ginny who was gently rubbing her wrist and Ron who stared out at the street with fearful eyes.

Those eyes that seemed to getting wider and wider.

Harry turned around, and his heart leapt up into his throat as he saw Death Eaters at the foot of the path, blocking any way of escape, seemingly smiling haughtily.

Behind him, Harry's friends tightened behind him, he could just see Ginny's flaming red hair and Hermione's bushy brown hair in the corners of his eyes. He realised with a pang that it was two to one, in the Death Eaters advantage, and they were blocking any way of escape.

"Harry Potter we meet again." Said the Death Eater nearest to him, and Harry realised that it was Lucius Malfoy. "I trust you are well?" He said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"What do you want?" Harry said with a sneer. "There are no prophecies here to get, nothing worth your interest, so just leave us."

The Death Eaters laughed, and Harry recognised the crazy, manic laugh that belonged to Bellatrix Lestrange on the far left.

"You are in fact mistake, Potter." Malfoy said coldly. "We have come on orders, to take you back to the Dark Lord. You can come quietly, or we can do it the hard way, either way, you will be coming with us."

Harry nervously at each Death Eater, noting their heights and builds. He had to find a way to get them out, a spot where it would be easiest to barge their way through…

"Harry won't be going anywhere with you." Ron said fiercely behind Harry, and the Death Eaters laughed.

Harry shifted on his feet, his wand by his side, but he knew it was pointless to use it, for they were outnumbered and overpowered. "Why does Voldemort want me anyway?"

A murmur ran through the Death Eaters, no doubt at Harry's use of their master's name. But they did not say anything.

"Come on, I really want to know. What does Voldemort want with me?" Harry asked persistently.

"You jest, again, Potter." Bellatrix said angrily, and Harry cracked a wry grin.

"'Fraid not. I'm genuinely curious." Harry said, hoping that the others were formulating a plan behind him. His mind was completely blank.

"Very well." Malfoy said loudly, silencing the Death Eaters mutters. "Potter wants to know, and he shall know." Malfoy turned to Harry, and spoke with the coldest tone Harry had ever heard. "The Dark Lord wishes to end it. The Dark Lord wishes to end _you_."

Harry's heart was fluttering madly in his chest, more so than ever, and he could feel his hands were slick with nervous sweat. "Oh yeah? What's the difference now than from the other times he's tried to kill me?" Harry said, hoping that the Death Eater's could not hear his panic in his voice.

"The Dark Lord knows how." A Death Eater said next to Malfoy, and the curse flashed in Harry's mind.

"Enough of this!" Malfoy said loudly, angrily. "Come with us Potter, nicely, and we won't hurt any of your friends." He said, holding out his wand menacingly. The other Death Eaters did the same, and unconsciously, Harry took a step back and felt something under his foot. Someone grabbed his shirt and pulled him discreetly backwards, closer, and Harry saw that it was Hermione. Ron and Ginny were closing into them also, for protection.

"I will never come with you." Harry said angrily. "If Lord Voldemort wants me, then he'll have to come and get me himself."

Malfoy's wand hand shook with rage as he said through clenched teeth- "Insolent, naive little _boy! _How dare you-"

Three shouts of _"Impedimenta!" _and _"Stupefy!_" interrupted Malfoy, and several of the Death Eaters were pushed by an invisible force towards Harry, knocking down the rest of them.

Harry knew it was their chance and grabbed the robes of the person closest-Hermione- and pulled her through and over the fallen Death Eaters, stepping on tangled limbs and faces as they ran towards their saviours-Neville, Luna and Blaise- and away from the alley as beams of red and green light shot over their heads from recovered Death Eaters.

Blaise, Luna and Neville got a head start and immediately disappeared into the thinning frenzied crowds. Harry followed, Hermione on his heels who repeatedly turned back to see if Ginny and Ron were following. Harry vaguely registered seeing Kingsley take on two Death Eaters and Moody another three, but in a flash they had disappeared from sight as they ran on, and unfortunately, so had Neville, Luna and Blaise.

Harry slowed down as several Dementors swooped down on them, and realised that Ginny and Ron were not far behind. He told them to keep running, and whipped out his wand, bellowing _"Expecto Patronum!"_ with Hermione and Ron's faces in his mind, at every Dementor he could see.

He turned as he saw Death Eaters running after them, and he imagined Lucius Malfoy's pale face contorted in fury, and with a satisfied grin, ran in the direction the others had gone in, down the main road back to Hogwarts.

He ran as fast as he could, sprinting away from the Death Eaters on his heels, dodging the green and red bolts of light. He hurried past the gate with the sign overhead that said _'Hogsmeade' _and sprinted down the gravel path, his heart sinking as Hermione, Ginny and Ron did not come into view on the long road.

He did not have to look far, because near the gate, surrounded by a green trees and a fairly overgrown bush, three masked Death Eaters came out, with their gloved hands over the mouths of Ron, Hermione and Ginny.

"You have no choice now." Said Lucius Malfoy, panting slightly as he appeared under the sign surrounded by Death Eaters. "Come with us, or they'll die."

Harry looked at his friends and saw that Hermione was shaking her head vigorously, fat tears rolling down her cheeks. Ginny was slowly turning blue-the hand around her throat was too tight- and Ron was squirming in the Death Eaters hold.

It seemed as if a flash of light awoke him, but the words of the curse _'Aequus Malus'_ flashed in his mind, and Harry realised that if he went with them, he could finish this once and for all. Harry could defeat Voldemort.

He stepped closer to the Death Eaters, and Hermione screamed 'no' loudly, while Ron squirmed even harder in the Death Eater's grasp. Ginny's eyes were fluttering closed, and Harry realised it was now or never.

Harry bowed his head in shame and took another step forward, when another voice, a deeper and more commanding one that shook with anger, made Harry stop.

"Stay where you are Harry." Dumbledore said, his face white with rage.

All at once, the Death Eaters squealed in terror and fled from the path, scrambling in all directions. Just like he had done last year, Dumbledore gestured with his wand and several Death Eaters jerked back with an invisible string.

That was all Harry needed, and he belted his way towards his friends. Ron had gotten free and was stuck in a duel with his captor. Hermione was struggling against hers, and Ginny flopped limply against the Death Eaters arms. The Death Eater holding Ginny looked up at Harry, and he swore that the Death Eater was grinning under his mask, but the next moment, the Death Eater had disapparated, with Ginny in his arms.

"GINNY!" Ron cried in outrage, and he took out his anger on the Death Eater in front of him, dodging and sending a flurry of curses and spells so fast that the Death Eater was actually retreating.

Hermione meanwhile, glanced at the spot Ginny had just been, then at the Death Eater holding her, and then at Harry, locking gazes with him. Her eyes were glassy, shining with unshed tears, and Harry's breath caught in his throat as he realised what was about to happen.

"HARRY!" She yelled, and Harry ran faster, but it was no use, for by the time he had reached them, the Death Eater had pulled out his wand, and had disapparated, with Hermione kicking and squirming in his arms.

Harry let out a yell of fury as Hermione disappeared as he reached them, his hands out to grab her hand but only grabbing fistfuls of air instead. The Death Eater Ron had been fighting had disapparated and he stared at the places Hermione and Ginny had just been.

"Harry! Ron!" Harry whipped around, staring into the fray of Aurors and Death Eaters, and saw Buffy emerge, her blonde hair a mess, her clothes torn and stained with blood. "Get back to Hogwarts, now!"

"They've taken Hermione." Harry said desperately, "They've taken Hermione and Ginny."

Buffy's voice faltered only a moment before shaking her head and saying, "It doesn't matter. Get back to the castle right now!"

Harry stared at her, not knowing how she could say that, and with a sigh, Buffy stepped closer to Harry, taking his hand and looked up to his eyes. "Just go back Harry. We'll find a way to get them back." Buffy said, her calm voice reassuring Harry.

He nodded, stepping away from her and grabbing a fistful of Ron's robes before running as fast as he could away from the fray, down the gravel dirt path and back up to the castle he loved so much.

The run back to Hogwarts was a blur to him, but all Harry knew was that he had dragged Ron along, and he had not let go of Ron's robes. He knew that Ron was probably feeling even worse than him, for his sister had, not for the first time, been kidnapped. He remembered how Ron had reacted when he found out that Ginny had been kidnapped in their second year, the look on his face as he slid helplessly down the wooden walls of the wardrobe was imprinted on Harry mind as was the look on Ron's face now. Harry wanted desperately to tell Ron to buck it up, but whenever he turned to do so, Ron's slackened and pale face stopped him from doing so, and Harry only dragged him along harder.

Harry sighed in relief as he saw the cold, stone steps in front of the Hogwarts castle, and with a slightly lightened heart, he threw open the door and ran inside.

Immediately, students pounced on him with endless questions, but Harry was in no mood to tell them anything, not even to tell them to bugger off. He and Ron climbed the stairs purposefully, on the way to Dumbledore's office where they knew he would be shortly.

But as they were walking down the corridors, footsteps stopped them and Remus Lupin's pale face stopped them. He looked more tired than ever and directed them to Buffy's suite, and Harry and Ron made no objections.

Inside Buffy's room, he saw Neville, Luna and Blaise sitting on the couch, the three of them looking a little worse for wear but well all the same. Giles stood worriedly at the window, Faith on Charlie's lap by the fireplace, Xander and Anya by the portrait door, Willow on Tara's lap on a chair and Snuffles padding the length of the room, his black tail swishing behind him.

Neville and Blaise immediately stood up when they saw Harry and Ron, and questions were shot at the two of them, but all Harry said was "They took Hermione and Ginny," and that was enough.

Blaise sat back down, looking upset but slightly confused at his surroundings, Neville glanced at Ron before sitting and Luna stared at her hands. Giles came towards them, his glasses in his hands, his lips pursed in worry. "And Buffy?"

"She's fine." Harry said, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Snuffles head lift. "Last I saw her; she was fighting the Death Eaters."

Harry collapsed onto one of the chairs, seeing that Ron had already, his red head was in his hands, and Harry could tell that his shoulders were shaking slightly.

Harry looked away painfully, not wanting to see his best friend break down into tears.

He was not sure how long they sat there, staring at their hands, talking in muted whispers. However, when the portrait door finally opened and Buffy came in, breathless, everyone jumped up and bombarded her with questions and hugs.

"Dumbledore is coming." Buffy said, once everyone had quieted down and Sirius had stopped barking. "He'll be here soon, and then-"

"Then we can find my sister." Ron said hoarsely. "Then we can find Ginny and Hermione."

Buffy looked kindly at Ron, but when she spoke again, she was looking at her hands. "I don't know Ron. It's going to take time."

Harry glared at Buffy, unknowingly imitating Ron's expression. "Ginny and Hermione don't have time! They could be…" Harry trailed off, not wanting to say what he and Ron both feared.

"We can't just storm into Voldemort's hideout." Buffy argued quietly, not wanting to upset Harry even further. "For one we don't know where it is-"

"Snape does!" Harry and Ron both argued fervently.

"And two, we'd be outnumbered. Aurors were hurt during that episode in Hogsmeade, and there are not enough people to cope-Harry, I'm sorry, it's going to take time." Buffy said sadly.

"Indeed." Dumbledore said, sweeping into the room through the portrait door. "It will take time Harry, Ron."

"HERMIONE AND GINNY DON'T HAVE TIME!" Harry yelled angrily, hating the old man that stood in front of him, his wise face composed in a calm manner, not at all affected by Harry's shouting-no doubt he had gotten used to it from last year. "How many time do I have to say it! WE NEED TO GO NOW!"

"Harry," Dumbledore said calmly, "It is simply not possible. Please calm yourself, while we think of a rational idea. There are simply not enough people to attack Voldemort, as Buffy has already pointed out. We need to recover from Hogsmeade, and we simply cannot go charging to Voldemort irrationally." Dumbledore sighed heavily. "I'm sorry Harry, it just cannot be done."

Harry listened angrily, hating the man as every word spewed out of him. Harry shook his head vehemently, and without saying a word, pushed past Buffy and Dumbledore and almost ran out of the room.

If Dumbledore wouldn't do it, then he would do it himself, Harry decided. _He _would save Hermione and Ginny. If they left it too late…

Harry closed his eyes; not wanting to know what could happen if they arrived too late. He leant against the wall, his head pressed against it, his eyes closed and his fists clenched in anger. He could still see Ron's expression as Ginny was taken, Hermione's tears and yells as she disappeared- and Harry decided that he never wanted to see that again. He would finish it. He would finish it tonight.

"Hey, Potter."

Harry's eyes flickered open to see Blaise Zabini standing right in front of him, a large cut on the right side of his pale face.

"What do you want?" Harry spat angrily, but Blaise did not seem affronted by Harry's tone.

"To help." Blaise said earnestly.

"With what?"

Blaise grinned and stepped closer to Harry, whispering "I know where Voldemort is."

* * *

As always, thank you to the reviewers who make my very cold and miserable day. :D

I should have done this a long time ago, but I'm searching for a beta for the end of this story and the sequel. This means that the beta will have to be ok with finding out the end of this story before everyone else, and to help me bounce ideas off him/her for the sequel. So if anyone is interested, please e-mail me or leave it in a review ASAP. Thanks!

And, as always, review! And sorry for the absurd length of this chapter, unfortunately, the next one is even longer...


	58. Full of Grace

Ah, yes I know it has been AGES since I last updated but I am awfully sorry for it, uncontrollable situations yadda yadda yadda, well, the chapter's here now, so all's well right?

Chapter 58. Full of Grace.

Harry's eyes narrowed at Blaise. "How do you know?"

"My father's a Death Eater." Blaise said, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

Harry glared at him, resisting every urge to beat the boy in front of him into a pulp. "And are you?" He said, in the nicest tone he could manage.

Blaise shuddered. "Oh no, I'm not. I'm not even seventeen yet, my birthdays' in May, and even if I was of age, I would never join."

Harry nodded, but he still didn't trust Blaise at all. "So your father just told you the location over a cup of tea?"

Blaise grinned and shook his head, his dark brown shoulder-length hair matted with twigs and shaking with it. "No, but I overheard him talking about it with Lucius Malfoy not too long ago. And several Slytherins know, and they were talking about it." Blaise said, shrugging.

Harry's eyes narrowed again, and he shoved his hands in his trouser pockets. "Why are you doing this?"

Blaise shrugged again, staring at the floor. "I don't know. Hermione was nice, and if you haven't noticed, I do not have many friends in Slytherin." Harry looked away; he didn't want to tell Blaise that he hadn't noticed _him _at all. "I don't know Hermione enough to tell you that I would be terribly upset if she dies, but I would like to help. Besides, if Hermione dies, then I'm stuck doing our Arithmancy project all by myself, and it's a lot of work." Blaise finished, grinning at Harry.

Harry couldn't help but smile also and silently thanked Hermione for becoming friends with Blaise, otherwise he would have no idea how to get to Voldemort. He sighed deeply, and looked at Blaise, who seemed to be waiting with baited breath for Harry's answer. "Alright." Harry said, and Blaise let out a sigh of relief. "But if this is some trick, I'm going to kill you."

Blaise shrugged, nodding. "Fair enough." He turned away from Harry, in the direction of Buffy's suite, but stopped when he realised Harry hadn't moved. "What are you doing? Don't you want to get Weasley?"

Harry bit his lip, but shook his head, going with the rational side of him. "No, we're not including Ron in this."

"You're not including me in what?"

Ron appeared behind Blaise, his eyes bloodshot, his hands shoved deep in his trouser pockets. Behind him appeared Neville and Luna. "What's going on?" He asked, looking between Blaise and Harry.

Blaise glanced at Harry, and Harry knew what that look meant. Blaise wanted Harry to tell Ron.

"Don't worry about it Ron." Harry said, ignoring Blaise. Ron frowned, looking again at Blaise, then back to Harry.

"You're going after him aren't you? You're going after Voldemort." Ron said, realization dawning.

Harry sighed and leant against the wall, ignoring Ron's angry stare. "Yes, we are. But you cannot come."

"Why not!" Ron shouted angrily, his face turning red with rage.

Harry sighed, thoroughly exasperated. He closed his eyes and spoke very slowly. "Because Ron, it's just going to be us."

"Us!" Ron spat, looking between Harry and Blaise. "You mean _Zabini_! Harry, that's my sister there! And my best friend! How can you say I can't come!" Ron bellowed, and Harry opened his eyes. Blaise and Neville wore identical expressions of awkwardness, while Luna just stared at the back of Ron's head.

"Harry-" Blaise said quietly, scuffing the floor with the sole of his shoe. "I think Weasley should come." Blaise looked up at Harry, silently pleading with him. "It's his sister after all."

Harry glared at Blaise, angry at him for not being on his side and angry that Blaise was right. Harry looked at Ron, who was silently fuming in front of him, and Harry gave up. "Fine. Come. But only Ron."

Now it was Neville's turn to speak up. "No way. We're coming too." He said bravely, gesturing to Luna.

Harry closed his eyes again; it was like a repeat of last year. And Hermione and Ginny's time was getting shorter and shorter at every moment they spent pointlessly arguing.

"Fine!" Harry snapped angrily. "Come along with us then." He turned to Blaise. "Now how do we get there?"

Blaise grinned. "Follow me." He said, before starting off down the corridor.

Wordlessly, the rest followed him, Harry trying to avoid Ron's angry gaze. The journey was short, and Blaise led them into the first empty classroom they came across.

They filed in, and Neville shut the door as Blaise instructed. Blaise came to stand at a desk with a large, leather bound book on it. He whipped out his wand, and muttered clearly and with the utmost concentration, _"Portus." _

"How?" Ron said, amazed. To be able to turn an object into a Portkey was difficult magic, and Blaise obviously knew it.

Blaise grinned and glanced at his watch. "I've gotten the second highest grades in the year for the past four years. The only people who have beaten me are Hermione, and you, Harry." He said, almost smugly.

"Wow, I never knew." Neville said with a slow whistle. Blaise shrugged nonchalantly.

"No one ever noticed." He said, but his tone was almost bitter. Ron shared a look with Harry, and Harry knew what Ron was thinking, Ron had never noticed Blaise either.

"Come on, it's almost time." Blaise said, and the others closed in around the leather bound book, placing one finger each on the pages. Blaise looked at his watch, counting down the seconds, and Harry took a deep breath in, realising that he was truly on his way to possibly defeating Voldemort. He also realised with a pang, that there was a large chance that he would not be able to defeat Voldemort, but he promised himself that he would try to take Voldemort down with him.

"Four…three…two…one."

With the familiar tug below his navel, Harry and his friends were whisked away from the classroom, the desks and chairs disappearing from beneath them as they travelled. He could feel Ron and Luna's shoulders painfully banging into him from both sides, but before Harry had time to think about how much he hated this way of travelling, their feet touched the ground and Ron fell down, pulling Harry to the ground with him, the Portkey discarded somewhere on the ground.

Harry groaned quietly and looked up, his scar prickling even more than usual. Blaise was the only one who had managed to stay standing, although he looked slightly pale. The others were on the ground.

It was then that Harry noticed his surroundings, as he stood up and set his glasses right on his face. There were in the middle of a large, circular room, lit only by two torches on the opposite sides of the room. The flames danced on the cold, black stones, illuminating their faces.

"Where are we?" Ron asked fearfully.

"I would have thought that obvious." Blaise said, almost coldly. He ignored Ron's glare and crept to the only door in the room.

"Wait." Harry said, as Blaise made to open the door. He took a deep breath, and carefully addressed the others. "If I don't survive this-"

"Harry, don't think like that." Neville said fearfully, but Harry ignored him.

"I want you to get out of here as soon as possible. Blaise, can you cast another charm on that book to make sure that you lot can get out?" Harry instructed, glancing at Blaise.

He nodded, picking up the book and muttering '_Portus'. _The book glowed blue for a few seconds, then returned to normal colour. "This gives us an hour." Blaise said. "After that, the portkey will be useless."

Harry nodded, glancing at his watch. "In an hour, regardless of what happens, you all have to come back here and get yourselves out. Don't wait for anybody; otherwise you won't be able to get back." Harry said stiffly, and he knew that the others knew what that meant. He wouldn't allow them to wait for him.

Blaise stuffed the book into his pocket – he was the only one wearing robes and therefore had a pocket big enough to accommodate the book - and Harry took out his wand, the others following.

"Try not to split up." Harry instructed. "We're better together." The others nodded and crowded behind Harry as he cautiously opened the heavy oak door and peered outside.

The door led to a long, narrow hallway, lit only by several torches hanging on the walls. There were cobwebs on the ceiling, and behind him, Harry felt Ron shudder. Silently, Harry beckoned for the others to follow him and quietly but quickly, they left the safety of the room.

Harry did not have the faintest idea of where they were going. Unlike last year, where he had seen the Department of Mysteries in his dreams, Harry's surroundings were completely unfamiliar.

A nervous shiver went up his spine as Harry realised that they could very well be walking right into a trap, and a horde of demons could be standing around the corner.

But there were no demons around the corner they turned, or the next, or the one after that, and the absence of both Death Eaters and demons worried Harry. _Where were they?_

It seemed that Ron was thinking this too, for he nudged Harry and whispered quietly his thoughts that mirrored Harry's.

It wasn't long before they heard people talking; however the relief was quickly replaced with fear, for they were in the middle of a long, narrow hall, with no escape, and the voices were coming around the corner.

Unable to think of an escape plan, and belatedly realising that they should run the opposite way, two Death Eaters, conversing quietly, rounded the corner, and looked up at the six teenagers in the middle of the hall, their wands in hand and determined but fearful looks on their faces.

Immediately one Death Eater raised his wand and pointed at Harry, who was in the front of the group, and yelled _"Expelliarmus!"_

"_Protego!" _Harry shouted, just as Blaise and Ron yelled _"Stupefy!" _at the death Eaters.

The stunning spells missed one Death Eater as he dived out the way, but caught the other square in the chest. The remaining Death Eater looked at each teenager with an almost fearful expression, but raised his wand at Ron and shouted _"Ava-" _

Harry could see Ron's fearful expression, and Harry remembered from his fourth year, Mad-Eye Moody's impostor telling them that there was no counter curse for the Killing curse.

An emotion filled Harry as he thought desperately that he did not want Ron to die, his best friend who had almost always been there for him throughout his school career and Harry raised his wandless hand and concentrated, and the Death Eater was pushed backwards, the rest of the killing curse dying on his lips.

Ron sighed with relief and smiled thankfully, but shakily at Harry. "That power thing, you've got…its handy."

Harry smiled pensively. "I think so."

"Harry, what did you just do?" Neville said, awestruck.

"I'll tell you later." Harry said, glancing back at the others and saw that they also wanted to know.

With the subject closed, Harry stepped over the now unconscious Death Eaters and headed the way they had come, hoping to find Hermione and Ginny in that direction.

His hopes turned out to be true, for the hall the Death Eaters had come from was very long, and as they walked down it, Harry's scar was hurting more and more. The pain grew worse as they headed down the corridors, the numbers of torches hung on the wall lessened and they were travelling cautiously in dim light.

For the first time, they came across a hall with several doors leading out, and Harry decided they should check each one.

The first door led to a large abandoned room, with several pieces of broken furniture piled in it. The next door led to a seemingly homely room, with a large bed and couch in dark colours. The room was furnished with black and green snakes-snake carvings crawled up the bed posts, the table legs and along the unlit fireplace. Deciding that Hermione and Ginny would not be held in that lavish room, Harry tried the third door, with the others right behind him.

Third time was the charm, for across the room stood a short, stumpy man, dressed in Death Eaters robes but not in a mask. Harry recognised the frazzled and limp hair, the short, stumpy stance, and the glitter of metal on his hand. Wormtail moved a fraction, and this revealed a brown haired girl tied by iron shackles to the wall, her clothes dirty and her hair messy.

Hermione.

On the right hand side of the wall lay Ginny, an ugly purple bruise on her neck and face, her legs drawn up to her stomach. She was unconscious.

Hermione's eyes lifted to the door, and immediately met Harry's. Those eyes that had been dull and scared moments before were suddenly filled with relief among other emotions, and her mouth broke from a frown to a smile.

It was then that Wormtail turned around, a surprised look on his face as he saw the five students standing in the doorway, but moments later, it changed to a look of pleasure as half a dozen Death Eaters appeared behind Harry and his friends, blocking any way out, and promptly stunning them as soon as they realised the Death Eaters were there.

Harry was not quite sure how long he was unconscious for, however, when he woke up he saw Wormtails' beady eyes stare into his and a rage never felt before rose inside of him.

Wormtail smirked, but he stepped back as he saw the fire in Harry's eyes. "Awake at last Potter." Wormtail said slimily. "The Dark Lord is so anxious to see you."

Harry glanced around the room; on his right was Ron in shackles similar to Harry's. Next to Ron was Luna, looking slightly worse for wear. Across the room was Ginny, her eyes bright and shining, and next to her, Blaise with a fresh cut on his face, and finally Neville, looking terrified.

Harry felt someone touch his hand, and he looked to his left where he saw Hermione give him a grateful and hopeful smile, as her fingers brushed against his.

He turned a cold stare onto Wormtail, which made Wormtail shudder slightly. "Get away from me." He spat coldly, and Wormtail smirked.

"I'm afraid I cannot." He said cockily. "For the most gracious Dark Lord has given me a task, one which I will enjoy doing most greatly." He said, leering at Harry.

Harry ground his teeth, "and what's that?"

Wormtail smiled, showing missing teeth amongst his yellowed ones. His gaze moved from Harry to Hermione. "Killing the mudblood."

Harry yelled in anger and tried to leap forward at Wormtail, but the shackles kept him from doing so and he was jerked back, his head knocking on the wall making his eyes tear. Wormtail was laughing at Harry, as well as Ron who appeared to have done the same.

"Master told me this would be fun and gratifying!" Wormtail said gleefully.

"You touch her…" Harry started coldly, but Wormtail only smiled.

"And what shall you do?" Wormtail asked in interest. "What shall you both do?" He asked, now addressing Ron who was squirming in his chains. "Insult me?" He laughed, and turned to Harry. "Your aunt already did that, when she escaped at Christmas. She didn't kill me, like she vowed she would."

"I'll kill you." Harry said through his teeth, and once again he felt Hermione's fingers brush against his. He looked at her, and saw that silent tears were streaming down her face, but she wasn't saying anything, just looking straight at Wormtail.

Wormtail looked at Hermione then, his wand raised, a sick, manic smile on his face. Hermione sighed, almost as if she were giving up and she quietly said "Do it. But do it quick." She said, and then she closed her eyes.

Wormtail scoffed. "Afraid of pain are you?"

Hermione shook her head and she glanced up at Wormtail. "Scared." She said in such a small voice that Harry had to strain himself to hear. It struck him then how much of a child Hermione looked, with a look of absolute terror on her face. She had seemed to have shrunk into a little girl, no more than ten years old, her eyes deeply innocent and genuinely horrified, innocent tears streaming down her face.

And it was then that Harry realised Wormtail wasn't doing anything. Maybe it was the fact that Hermione wanted it over so quickly, or that she was crying but not hysterical so, or that she was not fighting, or maybe it was because she looked no more than ten years old, but Wormtail's resolve faltered.

Harry's hand found Hermione's again, and he squeezed it tightly, trying to give her some sense of security. But it seemed pointless, for although Wormtail's resolve had seemingly faltered momentarily, he had raised his wand again.

Hermione's gaze had not faltered from Wormtail's face, and it didn't falter now when she said, "Please, do it quick."

A look of shock passed on Wormtail's face and a flicker of humanity flared up in his eyes. Harry smiled inside, silently thanking Hermione for being so clever.

"How can you kill her?" Harry said quietly, his voice neither harsh nor angry, but almost calm even though it shook with slight nervousness. "How can you kill someone so young and pure and innocent?" He asked, and Wormtail's eyes squeezed shut. His arm was slack.

"Be quiet." Wormtail whispered, but Harry heard and ignored Wormtail's plea and ploughed on.

"How can you kill her? How can you do this, sell us to Voldemort like this. We're only kids, don't do this." Harry pleaded, feeling his scar burning on his forehead and Hermione's hand squeezing his own.

"Stop." Wormtail said quietly, almost desperately.

"Don't do this Wormtail. You can't, it's just not right, please." Harry begged.

Wormtail's eyes fluttered open and he glanced at Harry. Harry willed Wormtail to not kill Hermione, to not hurt them and he thought he had almost gotten through, when Wormtail's look of resolve returned to his face again and he lifted his wand.

Harry was done with being calm and considerate, he could see the wand inches from Hermione's face, and fear overtook him. "If you kill Hermione than you really are evil, evil to the core. I used to think-hope, that there was some shred of humanity in you, but there's nothing left is there?" Harry spat spitefully, watching as Wormtail cowered under Harry's hateful tone. "I thought it was just the fear of Voldemort in you, but there's nothing there! You're nothing! You're no longer the man my mother liked and respected."

Wormtail's arm was down by his side, and Harry almost thought he had convinced the Death Eater, but he turned to Harry, his eyes blazing of anger and shame. "You know nothing about your parents. Nothing at all. I doubt you even have a single memory of them, except their death."

Harry flinched, but he could see Ron out of the corner of his eye urging him on. "I know that my dad was friends with you. And that my mother trusted you. They both trusted you enough to make you their Secret Keeper; does that not mean anything to you?"

Wormtail's eyes were deadened, it seemed Harry's words had killed something inside of him, and Wormtail opened his mouth to say something, maybe in defence or to agree, but Harry interrupted,

"That night in the Shrieking Shack, three years ago…I thought I was doing something good, I thought I was sparing a decent life, a _person_ who wouldn't do this, who my parents trusted…but obviously, if you're going to kill Hermione, then there was no point in sparing your life."

Harry swallowed nervously as Wormtail seemed to fight an inner battle with himself, his beady eyes shifting nervously from Hermione to Harry. Harry knew his words had gotten through to Wormtail, he could see the look of uncertainty in him, but he did not know what Wormtail was going to decide. It was with baited breath that Harry and the entire room waited for Wormtails decision, and when Wormtail raised his wand, pointing it directly at Hermione, the entire room erupted into protests.

Wormtail ignored it all, his wand aimed directly at Hermione's head. Harry could feel Hermione's hand in his, and a burning anxiety and fear that Wormtail was going to kill her, and then kill them all and a fiery hate and anger rose inside of him…

"I'm sorry." Wormtail whispered, his head shaking, tears in his eyes, "I'm so sorry Lily, James, I'm so sorry..._Alohomora." _

Immediately, the shackles fell free from Hermione's wrists as Wormtail fell to the floor, sobbing with his head in his hands. Hermione stood a few inches away from him as Wormtail delved into his pockets and pulled out seven wands, and Hermione took them all, using her wand to free them all. Harry stood free at last, his wand in his hand, his scar prickling painfully. Wormtail looked up at him, a fearful expression in his eyes.

"I'm sorry Harry. For everything I've done." He said.

Harry swallowed, glancing at Ron's face which told him he should never forgive Wormtail, and then at Hermione's who told him the opposite. Harry's fists were clenched, but in the nicest way he could, he knelt down to Wormtails level and said as politely as he could, "Thank you."

He wasn't thanking Wormtail for his apology, Harry would never be able to forgive Wormtail for his parents' death, but he had spared their lives, and he was thankful for that at least.

"Help us get out of here. Voldemort is coming." Harry said emotionlessly, and Wormtail nodded, gesturing to a door that Harry hadn't noticed before.

"That will lead you out of this room. There are other doors out of there, so don't worry." Wormtail said, and Harry nodded, his face contorted in an expression of pain, as the pain grew worse as Voldemort came closer.

Quickly, they ran to the door and through it, leaving Wormtail behind in the empty room. Harry paused by the closed door, just as the door from the hall opened. He closed his eyes, it felt as if his scar was splitting open. A hand took his, and through his half closed eyes he could see it was Hermione's.

Quietly, they listened to the muffled voices coming from the other side of the door.

"Where are they Wormtail?" Lord Voldemort demanded, and there was a silence. Harry's heart twisted in fear as he realised Wormtail could give them away.

But he relaxed slightly as he heard Wormtails muffled answer. "I do not know."

"You let them escape, did you not?" Voldemort asked angrily, and Harry could hear Wormtail moaning through the door.

"I did not mean to, master please forgive me." Wormtail pleaded desperately.

"You are useless." Voldemort said over Wormtails' cries. _"Avada Kedavra." _

Green light shone through the crack between the door and floor, and Hermione's face buried into Harry's chest as they heard Wormtails' cries abruptly stop and the sound of a heavy body hitting the floor.

Harry stood, stock still, the pain even worse as he listened as Voldemort left the room, his heels clicking on the floor. The door shut quietly, and both rooms descended into silence. He glanced around, looking at everyone stricken faces. He locked gazes with Ron, who was looking very pale, whether it was because of Peter's death or the fact that Hermione's face was buried in Harry's chest, Harry did not know and did not really care.

He slowly took out his wand, gently removing Hermione from himself and placed his hand on the door knob. Carefully he opened it, peering inside and sighing with relief to see no one in there.

Except Peter's dead body sprawled out on the floor.

He gestured for everyone to go back into the room, and the rest followed him, Hermione behind him, staring at the walls so she would not have to look at Peter's body. One by one they filed into the room, and Harry told them quietly that they were going to go out the way they had come in. He glanced at his watch, seeing with a pang that they only had twenty minutes left till the portkey would be useless.

Harry turned to the door, just as it opened.

Harry had never been so happy to see his godfather in his life, and Harry put down his wand with a relieved sigh. Buffy and Willow followed after Sirius, and Buffy rushed straight in and enveloped Harry in a tight hug.

"You scared us so much." Buffy said in Harry's ear, her arms tightly wrapped around him. "You shouldn't have gone off like that!" She scolded, and Harry smiled half heartedly.

"He's dead." Willow blurted out, and Harry looked to see her crouching on the floor, her fingers by Peter's neck.

"Who is that?"

Harry swallowed and glanced at Sirius. "Peter Pettigrew." Harry could almost see the rage and anger flare up in Sirius' face, and as if she could see it too, Hermione stepped forward and explained.

"He saved us. He showed us the way to get out and Voldemort killed him for it." Hermione said desperately.

Buffy glanced at Hermione, and then at Sirius, whose face was a mix of battling emotions. "There's no time for this now." Buffy said loudly. "Let's go."

"No." Harry said sharply, glancing at his aunt. He took a few steps to her, so they were so close Harry could see the normally masked fear in her eyes. "I have to finish it."

She swallowed nervously, her eyes welling up, but she nodded. "The Death Eaters are all headed that way." She jerked her head to the left. "That's where you'll find him."

"Thank you." Harry said, looking between Sirius and Buffy.

"Willow. Go with him." Buffy instructed.

"Us." Ron said loudly. "Willow can come with us. We're not leaving Harry alone."

Buffy nodded. "Protect them Willow."

Willow nodded and motioned to the door. The others followed, carefully stepping around Peter's dead body on the floor. Harry felt Buffy's hand in his and Sirius' on his shoulder, before he left the room, turning right as Buffy and Sirius turned left.

It wasn't long before they came across Death Eaters, three who did not hesitate to raise their wands and yell the killing curse at Willow who led the group. Before he could finish, Hermione yelled _"Silencio!" _and Willow made a tiny, effortless movement with her hand and the Death Eater flew back against the wall, slumping onto the ground. Willow effortlessly took care of the other Death Eaters and they continued on their way.

As they continued to walk, Harry's scar became even more painful, it felt as if his head was splitting open every time they took a step. He knew they were close, and Willow knew it too, for she looked back at him every so often, a nervous look on her face.

They came to a large, wooden door, and Willow stopped, turning to face Harry, whose face was screwed up in pain. "This is it." Willow said quietly. "He's right behind this door."

They all raised their wands, and Willow turned back to the door, raising her hands and opened her mouth to utter a few words, when a jet of purple light flew at Willow and she shot across, landing on a heap on the floor.

Harry turned to the man who had injured Willow-a man he had never seen before with stringy brown hair and shockingly black eyes without any white. He smiled playfully, and held up his hand as a barrage of curses was sent his way. They were merely deflected, bounced off a purple shield.

He stepped forward, sauntering forward as if he owned the world. "Relax." He said casually. "I don't want any of you. None of you interest me." He smiled, looking past them as Willow slowly stood up, blood streaming from her nose. He sniffed the air, and grinned. "But Strawberries on the other hand...I could do with some of that."

"Harry." Willow said softly, but he heard her, and looked back to see her hair a shade lighter than normal. Her eyes were on the man's eyes, but sternly she bellowed "RUN!"

Grabbing the robes of who was closest-Ron and Hermione- Harry turned around and ran backward, not caring that they were going the wrong way. He saw out of the corner of his eyes Blaise, Ginny, Luna and Neville run past Willow and into a door at the end of the corridor, but Harry paid them no more thought as he saw beams of light, all different colours, fly overhead. He could hear Willow's and the man's cries of pain and triumph, and dimly, heavy footsteps on stone that did not belong to him or his friends.

They turned a corner and Harry threw himself into a sealed room, Hermione and Ron after him. The room was circular and dressed in black furnishings, and by an unlit fireplace, a very large snake hissed at them. Nagini, Voldemort's snake.

Ron and Hermione coiled behind him, and Harry faced the snake, hissing softly _"Leave us be. Leave us alone," _until they had safely gotten across the room and thrown themselves through the heavy black door.

The next room they were in had shelves filled with potion bottles, gruesome weapons and objects that reminded Harry of Knockturn Alley. Ron stopped to peer at a large half rotted head, and promptly shuddered at the look of it, while Hermione stood at the door.

"I don't hear anyone." She said quietly.

"Good, because there isn't a way out." Harry said with an annoyed sigh, and Ron glanced at him.

"We should get back to that place where You-know-who is." Ron said, leaving the half rotted head alone.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "We know Ron, but how can we do it if Death Eaters are trying to kill us?"

"Yes, I know, very smart Hermione." Ron said sarcastically, and Harry rolled his eyes and moved to the other side of the room, tuning out their argument as he inspected the shelves filled with potion bottles.

Some of these could have been made by Snape, Harry thought to himself as he inspected every bottle. Hardly any of them had dust on them, which meant they were used quite frequently, or-

Harry stopped at the end of the shelves and glanced at a switch which he had missed before. It was black and painted to look like the wall, but at closer inspection, Harry knew it was something else.

"It would make sense." Hermione mused behind him. "An old building like this, it must have some secret passage ways."

"Wands out y'reckon?" Ron asked and Harry nodded, gripping his wand tightly in his right hand and flipping the switch with his left.

He immediately jumped back - hearing Ron's disgruntled 'umph' as he stood on his toe - when the wall made a loud noise and the shelves moved to reveal a long, spindly staircase that went up.

"That is so Scooby Doo." Hermione said and Harry grinned at her, while the Muggle reference was completely lost on Ron and so he merely looked baffled.

Harry took the first step onto the black staircase, then Hermione, and finally Ron bringing up the rear. The steps were steep, and they seemed to go on forever. Harry had to feel his way up the stairs, none of them dared to light their way, in case a Death Eater found them. Fighting Death Eaters normally was hard enough, fighting them on steep staircases was much worse.

Harry made his way up the steps, the scar throbbing painfully as he neared where he knew Voldemort would be. They neared a large black door and Harry nervously pushed against the heavy handle, his scar almost bursting with pain.

The room they entered was dark, with a high ceiling and beams overhead. The walls were black with dirt, the floor cold and hard stone under Harry's feet. The room was very large, with several doors leading off to other places. On the walls were large portraits, but with no occupants, and suits of armour were placed decoratively along the walls. It was lit by several fires that seemed to hang from mid air, sending a musky, dense smell around the room. Backed against a large wall, raised on a small platform, was a throne like chair, with sturdy arm rests and a high back.

It was empty.

Harry could hear Hermione and Ron move into the room quietly behind him, and despite the pain in his scar that told him Voldemort was in the room; Harry lifted his wand high, which indicated to Hermione and Ron to do the same. They inched around the walls of the room, sticking close to it so as not to alert the half dozen Death Eaters in the middle of the room of their presence.

But that would not work forever.

"My faithful Death Eaters." Voldemorts' unmistakable voice said softly, but it commanded silence, like Dumbledore's. "We have some visitors."

The Death Eaters, who had previously been standing in a circle with their backs turned to Harry, moved as one out of the circle and revealed Lord Voldemort.

Behind him, Ron and Hermione gasped, and Harry knew why. Lord Voldemort had a terrifying face that had haunted Harry's dreams for months after he had seen it. His skin was whiter than bone, his nose flat with slits for nostrils, his scarlet eyes staring at them, holding them to their place.

Voldemort made a simple move with his hand, never once taking his eyes away from Harry's, and two Death Eaters swiftly came behind them and took Ron and Hermione in their clutches.

"Harry Potter. It is so nice to see you again." Voldemort said softly, walking forward. Hermione and Ron struggled in their captors grasp, and Harry knew their wands had been taken. "My, how you've grown." He said, his voice high and cold and strong. "You are terribly predictable."

"I've come to finish this." Harry said, through clenched teeth.

The Death Eaters laughed, and even Voldemort's lips turned slightly upwards. "Have you come to save wizarding world? How dreadfully noble of you." Voldemort said, removing his wand from his pocket with long, spider-like fingers. "You are very brave."

"I've come to do what I was meant to do. That's all." Harry said, his hand gripping his wand so tight he thought he might break it.

Voldemort nodded, gently caressing his wand with his fingers. "Ah yes, you have a purpose. I chose you, over the Longbottom boy, and now, you have come to do what was written." Voldemort said quietly. "You, who were so similar to who I was when I was a child. A half-blood. I suppose you know that is the reason why I chose you."

"Dumbledore told me." Harry said quietly.

The Death Eaters murmured again; but with rage and anger.

"Yes, Dumbledore always knows." Voldemort said quietly. "I made a choice. It was you. And now, you must make a choice." Voldemort made another movement with his hand, and the two Death Eaters brought forward Hermione and Ron, struggling in their grasp. "You must choose who dies."

Harry stopped breathing. His gaze swung towards his two best friends, their faces mirroring the shock that he was sure his showed. Voldemort laughed, his voice high pitched and laced with malice.

"Why?" Harry asked, his voice shaking.

"My dear boy, they will both die in the end. I am just asking you which of them you would like to die first." Voldemort said, walking towards them. Hermione looked away, while Ron stared straight past Voldemort.

"They are not going to die." Harry said firmly, and Voldemort laughed again.

"Harry Potter, ever the optimist." Voldemort said, looking at him. "How can you be so sure?"

"Because I won't let you." Harry said firmly, his eyes half-closed from the pain in his scar. "You've killed every person that ever meant anything to me. I won't let you kill them."

Voldemort's face twisted into a look of scorn. "Harry, you were just a year old. You never knew your parents." Voldemort said maliciously. "Even I knew them better than you did."

"You took them away from me!" Harry shouted angrily, his eyes stinging with tears of pain and sadness.

"Harry, you are crying for parents you never knew." Voldemort said, with a twisted smile. "You are mourning for something, someone you have never experienced." Voldemort smiled again. "If all goes well, you may be reunited with them. And your mudblood, poor excuse for a witch - mother will be so happy."

"_Crucio!" _Harry yelled, his voice laced with anger. Voldemort merely raised his wand, waving the curse off. He threw his head back and laughed, almost hysterically.

"I believe Bellatrix once told you that you have to really _feel _anger and hatred inside of you for the curse to work." Voldemort said, his voice laced with mirth. He raised his wand and as he shouted _"Crucio!" _Harry yelled _"Expelliarmus!"_

It was like reliving the end of the Triwizard Tournament all over again, the jet of red light from Voldemort's wand met Harry's jet of red light in mid-air- Harry and Voldemort both watched a thin beam of gold light connected Voldemort's wand with Harry's, and together, they rose up above the ground.

From beneath him, he could hear Hermione's and Ron's muffled voices as Harry and Voldemort were enclosed in a cage of golden light. Harry looked at Voldemort, and unlike the shocked look that had befallen the wizard when this had happened two years ago, a look of satisfaction was passing across his face.

"I had hoped this would happen." Voldemort said, his voice the only clear sound Harry could hear. The Death Eaters' voices were muffled below them, and Harry turned his attention onto the beam of light connecting their wands. His wand was vibrating so hard he thought he might lose hold of it, but Harry remembered what he had to do.

He concentrated as hard as he could as several beads of light that had been travelling towards Harry shuddered and then retreated, back to Voldemort's wand. The bead of light was quivering closely to Voldemort's wand tip, and very slowly, it inched further and connected.

Immediately, a ghostly figure rose out of the wand, and the ratty face of Peter Pettigrew appeared in front of Harry. "Keep going Harry." He said, looking away from him, as if he was ashamed to look at Harry. "You're doing really well."

Screams of pain were emitted from Voldemort's wand, and then figure after figure rose from the tip of the wand, faces that meant nothing to Harry, people that told him to fight, and to hold on. And then, finally, the handsome face of Cedric Diggory appeared in front of Harry, smiling good-naturedly. "Good luck." He said, before joining the others.

"Here they come." Voldemort said cruelly. "Your parents: the people that I took away from you when you were too young to remember them; yet you mourn them still."

Harry said nothing, but watched as his mother's young face appeared out of Voldemort's wand, then the rest of her body. She smiled at him as his father appeared next, black untidy hair falling in front of his framed eyes.

"Do you remember them?" Voldemort said. "Or do you only remember their deaths?"

Harry did not answer, but concentrated on keeping the connection, his spirits slightly lifted with the almost presence of his parents.

"It was noble of you to come here tonight Harry." Voldemort said softly. "But good does not always triumph over evil."

And then pain, pain like he had never felt before overcame Harry. It filled every part of him, flowed around him with his blood, seeping from every pore. It was worse than the Cruciatus curse, much worse, and Harry could barely hear his own screams over the feeling of all-consuming pain that enveloped him. Emotions filled him, emotions that had never been so strong before-anger, jealousy, hatred…they consumed him and filled him with as much power as the pain.

Flashes of faces, of names, of memories that were not his filled him; the image of a young Tom Riddle looking into the mirror took his mind, and Harry realised that _he _was looking into the mirror. He _was _Tom Riddle, looking at his own reflection.

And that was when he realised Voldemort possessed him. But it was not like it was last year, he felt as if he _was _Voldemort. Two minds were competing for one body, and Harry knew whose was strongest.

And it wasn't his.

As the memories of Tom Riddle filled his mind, his own memories, Harry Potter's memories left him. It was almost as if he could catch them, they were slipping out of his grasp-Harry running from Dudley and his gang when he was a child…Harry playing with Dudley's discarded toys…Harry listening to the Sorting Hat tell him he would be great in Slytherin…

Harry knew that he was dying; he knew that he could no longer fight Voldemort, that it was over, and as Tom Riddle filled him and Harry Potter departed… whispering in his ear; he could hear his parent's voices.

"Harry…We love you, don't forget that." His mother whispered in his ear, and Harry could tell she was crying.

Harry fought against the lump in his throat, and fighting against the constricting feeling in his chest, he whispered "I won't."

"Harry," It was his father now, "We want you to know, we have been watching you, all these years." Harry could hear his mother's muffled sobs, his father's gasps as he struggled to remain in control, and Harry could feel soothing tears run down his own burning face. "We could not be more proud, Harry. You have grown into a fine young man, and we could not be more proud of you." His father's voice, filled with pride was the last thing he heard before something overtook him, something that was even more powerful than the pain, the hatred, the anger.

He could feel it bursting out of him, and with it, all Tom Riddle's memories, all the pain and anger, everything that Harry knew belonged to Voldemort was forced out of him, and he no longer heard the voice of his father, but a scream, a scream that was so encased with pain and anger that it made Harry shiver inside. An emotion overtook him, and he knew that that was what had banished Voldemort. The overwhelming feeling of love shook him, and Harry forced his eyes open against the lingering pain…he saw Voldemort, crouched on the ground, his white face contorted in pain…Harry lifted his wand…and with confidence he never knew he possessed, yelled, _"Aequus Malus!" _

A beam of golden white light shot out of Harry wand, and hit Voldemort's chest. It was as if time stood still; Voldemort's head snapped up immediately to meet Harry's eyes, his chest shook as if he were having a fit, and from his mouth, Voldemort emitted a loud and pain filled scream that shook the room. His chest glowed brightly, white light overtaking his body until Harry could no longer see Voldemort's face, so contorted with pain. The white light filled the room, and with a force that knocked Harry off his feet, the light seemed to explode, and once again, the room returned to its natural darkness.

Harry stood up shakily, casting his eyes on the ground where Voldemort lay. His eyes were closed; his wand inches from his hand, and abruptly, the pain in Harry's scar… the pain that was always present when Voldemort was…disappeared.

The Dark Lord had finally fallen.

Phew. Finally eh? I'm really sorry it was such a long chapter, I just didn't want to break up the fight scene so yeah, 19 pages, thats a personal record :D Thanks to my ever wonderful reviewers who make my sucky day and my fantastic beta's Elsawriter and Andrew!

Hopefully the next chapter will be up soon...only two more to go woo!

Please review despite the sucky lateness of chapter!


	59. New Beginnings

Chapter 59. New Beginnings.

Harry blinked, unsure if his eyes were deceiving him. He had dreamt of this moment for many months, but finally, it had happened, and he wondered if it were just another dream.

But the sounds of shock and surprise that emitted from the Death Eaters told him that it was not a dream, and that this was real. He had defeated Lord Voldemort.

He glanced around at the Death Eaters, each one robed to look exactly the same as the other, and each one inspecting the Dark Mark on their left forearm that was slowly fading away.

The shock of it had barely registered with the Death Eaters when Aurors burst in from every door, quickly capturing the Death Eaters who barely put up a fight. Harry dimly registered Buffy entering; blood on her hands and face, Faith who looked stricken, Willow who was limping against Tara, Sirius who fought mercilessly, and Dumbledore who made his way straight to Harry, took one look at Voldemorts body and enveloped Harry in a hug.

He was so shocked by it that Harry barely returned the gesture. When Dumbledore finally let go of him, Harry was shocked to see that Dumbledore had tears in his eyes, and he placed a fatherly hand on Harry's shoulder. "I knew you could do it Harry." He whispered, a tear trickling down into his great white beard.

Harry grinned in spite of himself, shaking the hand that Dumbledore offered. "Thank you professor."

Dumbledore smiled, looked behind Harry and swiftly left, his robe swishing behind him. Harry had barely turned around before he saw a lot of bushy hair and arms snake around his neck. The force of Hermione throwing herself on him almost toppled him, and he laughed and Ron joined them moments later.

"I'm so proud of you Harry; I knew you could do it." Hermione said tearfully, once she had detached herself from him. Her hands covered her eyes and Harry knew she was crying.

Ron grinned, punching Harry lightly on the arm. "That was great, that was really great…I've never seen anything like it…" Ron mumbled, and Harry laughed.

"I'm glad you thought so." Harry said, tucking his wand in his pocket.

"Harry." Someone touched his shoulder and he turned around to see Kingsley standing in front of him, a large smile on his face. "Congratulations." Harry nodded, and Kingsley continued. "We have to take him away, but would you like to see You-know-who's body?"

Harry swallowed, and shook his head almost immediately. "He's dead. That's all I need."

Several hours later, he was back in Buffy's suite, the Scoobies and his school friends around him, all chatting animatedly. Ron and Hermione had not left his side once since they had returned. Although he knew they meant well, their presence seemed to suffocate him, and although it had been several hours since he had defeated Lord Voldemort, he wished he could have some time to himself to think.

He still could not believe he had defeated him. He had to pinch himself several times to make sure he was not dreaming. It felt so surreal, word had already gotten round that Voldemort was dead and Harry had killed him, and owls were regularly flying in through Buffy's window with letters of personal thanks, chocolates and phone numbers from girls.

Harry sat listening as each person told their own story, Buffy of how she followed Ron when he had left the suite and into the classroom, appearing just as they had taken the Portkey. She had immediately told Dumbledore and then had instantly sought out Snape who told her where Voldemort's hiding place was. With Sirius, Lupin, Faith, Tara, Angel and the rest of the Scoobies, they had left for the hiding place and had immediately split up. After Buffy had found Harry, she had fought many demons with Sirius until they found Dumbledore and followed him to where Harry had defeated Voldemort.

Willow had successfully beaten the warlock, whose name was Rack and who had brought Buffy back to life. She was slightly worse for wear, but with Tara by her side, who had remained virtually uninjured throughout, Willow was able to cope.

Faith had run into a man called Mayor Wilkins, a name that Harry vaguely recognised from Buffy. Faith was very quiet after they returned to the suite, but Buffy told Harry that she had killed Mayor Wilkins, who had been like a father to her.

Each of them had fought their battle, and each of them had won. Yet they seemed happier about their win than Harry did about his. The endless questions, the probing looks, the happy laughter only suffocated him and made him feel alone, rather than not, which is what his friends had wanted. His mind was clouded with thoughts, and he could not deal with anything while his friends were around him, suffocating him with their jolly laughter and happy wishes.

He managed to slip away from them as the sun set the next day, after avoiding countless journalists, officials and young students wanting autographs. He stood on a small balcony overlooking the Forbidden Forest and the lake, watching as the sun dipped low, sending streaks of pink and purple colour across the sky. Things were much quieter here, there were no journalists asking for interviews, no young girls vying for attention, no classmates asking to explain what happened again. It had only been a day since he had defeated Voldemort, but it felt much longer than that.

His concerns had surfaced again, and as expected, he was faced with a multitude of questions he did not know how to answer.

Harry sighed as he leaned against the balcony railings, watching people on the ground celebrate. There was to be a large celebration tonight, but it was just one party in the midst of others that had started at dawn, when news of Voldemort's defeat had first reached people.

Harry was not in the mood to celebrate.

"This place has always been a favourite of mine." Dumbledore said from behind him. Harry did not move as Dumbledore joined him. "It is secluded and peaceful; a great place to think."

Harry nodded, but kept looking out at the forest.

Dumbledore sighed softly, and Harry could feel his gaze on him. "I always thought of you as my grandson, as inappropriate as it is, but I cannot help it. And I do wish you would think of me as a grandfather, or you would trust me enough to tell me what you are thinking."

Harry shrugged, trying hard to ignore the meaningful words Dumbledore had spoken to him. "I've been here for six years, professor, and for almost all of my time here, Voldemort has always been after me, trying to kill me."

"And now he will not."

"All the things that I've caused, all the things I have done…" Harry broke off and glanced at his headmaster. "I'm a murderer." He said strongly, and Dumbledore said nothing. "I think…I need some time to think."

Dumbledore nodded as he looked down at his hands, almost dejectedly. He moved away to the door.

"No." Harry said loudly, stopping him. "I need some time to think away from here. Away from the things that remind me of Voldemort, away from everyone…" Harry broke off, every word causing him pain. He glanced at Dumbledore, who merely watched him with an indifferent look on his face. "Will you help me?"

Dumbledore nodded, joining Harry again. "Of course. I have several friends in Australia, Brazil, India, and Thailand…where would you like to go?"

Harry smiled and looked out into the pink sky. "They all sound wonderful."

"Very well, I shall arrange it." Dumbledore turned to leave, but stopped. "And what will you say to Ron and Hermione?"

Harry swallowed turning around and he looked back at the castle he loved so dearly.

"Nothing."

* * *

Quietly, when the others were downstairs at the celebratory feast, Harry packed a small duffel bag with a few changes of clothes and a photo album. His portkey, which had been arranged by Dumbledore to take him to a Portkey station and then to Thailand, was a small black book which could easily fit in his pocket. The portkey would activate in ten minutes, and, after scouring the boys dormitory for anything he might need, Harry took his Firebolt in one hand, his duffel bag slung over his shoulder and the Portkey in the other hand and slowly walked down to the Great Hall, taking his time as he took in for what would be the last time for many months, possibly years, his home, his school.

The corridors were empty, even the ghosts were attending the feast, and as Harry walked down the stairs into the Entrance Hall, he could hear the joyful noise coming from behind the closed door of the Great Hall. He stopped outside it for a moment, wondering if he should tell his friends what he was about to do, but as soon as that thought crossed his mind, he turned on his heel and walked away. They were better off not knowing. They would find out soon enough.

He stood in the doorway, one foot outside of the castle and one foot in. His watch told him there were only a few more seconds left till the Portkey would activate, and he wished it would hurry up before he could change his mind.

But as the watch counted down fifteen seconds, the Great Hall doors opened, and the volume of chatter increased for a few moments before the doors clanged shut and the chatter became muffled again.

Harry glanced at the door, and his gaze was held there, for Hermione stood at the door, a smile on her face. But her smile dropped as she noticed the bag and broom in Harry's hand, and a look of understanding crossed her face as seconds ticked away on his watch. He was not quite sure how long they were looking at each other, to him, it felt like eternity, but it was only a few mere seconds. As her look of understanding changed into something Harry could not identify, time ran out, and the Portkey activated, and Harry disappeared.

* * *

A cliffie-you guys know how much I love them :D. Anyway, next chapter is the last and that is when I'm going to answer any questions that you have now or from previous chapters that haven't been answered, so any questions that you have about the plot or other things, get them in.

Many thanks to all the reviewers, you know how much I love you guys :D. Thanks to Elsawriter and Andrew, my spiffing beta-s and to Selina for bugging me about my stories.

Please review!


	60. The Bitter End

Two monks, dressed in simple brown robes, ran hurriedly down a dimly lit corridor. In their hands they held books and candles, and they held onto them as they ran. One of the monks looked over his shoulder, his eyes wide with horror.

The monks barged into a large hall, with a high ceiling and large wooden pillars holding it up. They dropped the candles and books by an older monk in the middle of the floor, and then ran back to the door, closing it shut and barricading it with a large, solid wooden beam.

The monks ran back to the older monk, who knelt among talismans and lit candles. One monk looked back to the door, and said in a terrified voice "They are coming!"

"Our lives are not important. We have to protect the key." The oldest monk said firmly. "Help me perform the ritual."

As quickly as they could, the monks got into a circle and raised their arms. Their chant filled the room, but no sooner had they started, a tremendous crash echoed through the monastery and the large doors trembled and shook.

"Concentrate." Said the oldest monk, as the others looked towards the door in fear.

The chant resumed, but it could not compete with the incessant pounding at the door. Despite it however, they continued, their voices rising in panic and intensity. All of a sudden, a white light gathered in the middle of their circle and leapt up towards the ceiling and disappeared.

The room was cast into darkness, and the door shattered, bits of wood and nail flying into the room. The monks hurriedly stood up, watching fearfully through the wood and the settling dust.

As the dust settled, the monks could see two figures at the door, one, a young man, a few years out of his teenage years with black shoulder-length hair and piercing hazel eyes. The other was shorter, and had tufts of white hair on his head and electric blue eyes that casually surveyed the room.

"Honey, we're home." The young man said, and the monks exchanged horrified glances.

* * *

The snow had already melted off the roads, but was still inches high on the grass in the garden. A large snowman, adorned with twigs and an old blue scarf around its neck stood proudly in the front garden, until several young boys ran past the garden and pelted it with snow.

The owners of the house did not notice, despite the fact they were sitting in a room that overlooked this garden. Inside the room were six people, one a young blonde girl, who was opening her presents and discarding the brightly coloured wrapped paper all over the floor. The other woman, a woman with long red hair, got slightly frustrated and proceeded to put the wrapping paper in the bin.

The other four, all young men in their early twenties, were all slightly drunk, and one stood up, swaying on the spot with a crystal glass in his hand full of alcohol.

"To friends and family, let's hope that in the New Year, all this shite will be blown over. To family." Sirius Black said, raising his glass.

"To family." The group chorused, knocking their glasses with each other and downing their drink.

The blonde girl glanced at her own glass of orange juice and pouted to her brother-in-law.

"James?" She said with her bottom lip protruding slightly.

James had to smother a chuckle as he saw the younger girl. He knew that look; she wanted something. "Yes Buffy?"

Buffy opened her mouth to say something, but something by the door distracted her and she squealed. A toddler, with short brown hair, came crawling into the room and Buffy hurriedly picked her up, cuddling her in her arms. "Dawn! What are you doing here?"

Dawn looked up to her sister and smiled. "Bunny."

Buffy frowned. "Buffy. Buffy. Buf-fy."

Dawn giggled, and said, "Bunny."

Buffy rolled her eyes and sat down next to Sirius, Dawn still in her arms.

"It's a lost cause." Said Remus, his tired eyes smiling.

"I don't get it, she can say mum, dad and Lily, but she can't say Buffy."

"She can't say Petunia." Lily pointed out, but Buffy rolled her eyes and shrugged.

"Petunia's a long name. Mine's easy. Buffy. What's so hard about that?"

"It's an unusual name." Remus pointed out, laughing at Buffy's indignant look.

"Mum and dad liked it." Lily said fondly, remembering the many hours her parents had spent labouring over what to call her little sister.

"Petunia, Lily, Buffy and Dawn." Buffy said frowning, glancing down at her younger sister who sat contentedly in her arms. "Why aren't me and Dawn flowers?"

"Dawn and I." Remus corrected, and Buffy grinned.

"Would you really like to be called Rose?" Lily asked, and Buffy thought about it for a second before a disgusted look came across her face and she shook her head to laughs.

"Buffy will do for now."

"You're thinking of changing it?" Peter asked interestedly, and Buffy shrugged, a blush rising in her cheeks.

"Charlie likes the name Vanessa." She said quietly, but the others heard her and they tried to hide their laughs.

"And you'll change your name just for Charlie?" James asked, trying hard not to laugh, and Buffy shrugged, her cheeks flaming red.

Lily grinned and exchanged a knowing look with James. "Charlie is handsome, isn't he Buffy?" She teased. "He's clever, funny and perfect. Was that what you said to me?"

Buffy blushed even harder and smiled at Dawn. "Words to that effect." She mumbled.

Sirius scoffed, and gently swatted Buffy's arm. "Oi, you haven't gone off me have you?" He said, in an affronted tone. Buffy shook her head, her blush deepening even more.

"Sirius, don't you dare encourage her. I'm not having my sister getting married to some idiot like you." Lily warned but with mirth in her eyes.

Sirius grinned, but then his face turned serious and he leapt off the couch, pulling at the ring on his smallest finger. He knelt in front of Buffy, ignoring the laughs from his friends. "Buffy, will you do me the honour of being my wife?" He asked, holding the ring to her. Buffy laughed and swatted him with her free hand. Sirius winced slightly but grinned, hopping back onto the couch.

"It's a real nice ring." Buffy commented, inspecting the plain silver band with a tiny blue sapphire in the middle.

"You like it?" Sirius asked, and he slid it onto Buffy's thumb. "It's yours. Call it another Christmas present, or an early birthday one. Buffy smiled happily, and Dawn slid down from Buffy's lap and crawled to her other sister.

"What's the matter Dawnie?" Lily asked, peering at her youngest sister with her son in her arms. "You hungry?" Lily frowned and glanced at Buffy. "How did she get out anyway?"

Buffy shrugged. "I put her in the guest room, so no stairs to go down to get here."

"You should be more careful Buffy." James warned, and Buffy rolled her eyes.

"No harm done." Buffy said, leaping off the couch. "Look, see what I got for Harry." She said, taking a small package from under the tree. She threw the package to James which he caught perfectly. He started to tear off the blue wrapping paper, but Buffy protested, scooping Dawn into her arms, "No, read the card first!"

"Dear Harry.

I know it's kind of stupid to address the card to you, because you can't read yet, but hopefully, one day you'll read it and you'll remember that the person writing this is your aunt. I did not know what to get you, because you're only little and I can't get you porn as Sirius advised, but I decided to get you this. You have to never take it off, because it's really special, I transfigured it in class a couple of weeks ago.

Lots of love,

Buffy (and Dawn)."

James smiled at Buffy and opened the small package. Inside the paper was a blue velvet box, and inside that, was a silver necklace, with a pendant with the letter 'H' on it. Lily sighed happily as she laid her eyes on it, and carefully, James removed it from the box and fastened it around Harry's neck. The chain was quite big for the small baby, but the pendant suited Harry perfectly. Lily smiled up to Buffy with a large smile on her face.

"Thank you Buff, its-"

A large bang interrupted Lily and five men immediately entered the room, all armed with wands and guns. Buffy screamed and the Marauders stood up immediately, their wands at the ready. The oldest man stepped in front, carefully armed with a wand and a tranquilizer gun, pointing to the man closest, Lupin.

"Buffy Evans?" The man said, addressing the frightened girl.

"What do you want with her?" Lily spat, motioning for Buffy to move behind her. Buffy moved behind Lupin who was closer, and Dawn, sensing something was wrong, started to cry quietly in Buffy's small arms.

"We are here from the Watcher's Council; she needs to leave with us immediately." The man said.

"Who are you?" Sirius hissed, raising his wand to the man.

"Quentin Travers, head of the Watcher's Council. Buffy Evans is a potential slayer and we are here to take her away. She will be placed in care and will be given the adequate training to prepare her for the role of the slayer."

The five adults stood, dumbstruck, shocked by the news they had just heard. They had learnt about the slayer at school, and none of them had forgotten what the role of a slayer entailed. The job of the slayer was filled with violence, pain and an early death. None of them wanted that for Buffy.

"You are not taking her!" James cried, raising his wand.

"Boy, we could do this the easy way, or the hard way." Travers warned, "And I prefer the easy way, but I am perfectly fine to do this the hard way." Travers raised the gun to James, threatening him. Travers cocked his head to Buffy, who was hiding behind Lupin. Two men separated from the group and grabbed Buffy with Dawn in her arms, dragging them to door. Buffy kicked and screamed at the men, and then all hell broke loose.

Fired shots echoed in the small room, and jets of coloured light flew around the ceiling as the Marauders desperately tried to reach Buffy.

"Let them go!" Lily cried, placing a screaming Harry on the chair and grabbing her wand, making her way through the men in the living room to Buffy. Buffy still held tightly onto her little sister, despite the fact that the older men were trying to pry Dawn from Buffy's clutches.

"James! Help me!" Buffy cried, trying to get out of the men's grasp as they tried to drag her out of the house. Dawn still screamed from Buffy's hold, and the two year old girl kicked at the men with her tiny legs, making it impossible for them to take her from Buffy.

"Leave them alone!" Lupin roared as he aimed his curses at the men, but he missed, the men were moving too fast.

"Say good bye kid." One watcher said who had a hold on Buffy.

"Lily!" With that last scream, Buffy was dragged out of the house with Dawn in her arms, and the other men followed, shooting angrily at the young men. The Marauders followed the men outside, but the Watchers were too fast. The Watchers had shoved Buffy and Dawn in a car and had driven off by the time they got outside; leaving the young adults looking into the directions they could have gone in.

"We have to go after them!" Lily screamed, starting to run down the street.

James caught up with her, and held her close to his chest, her tears wetting his robes. "It's too late, Lils."

"No!" She choked, trying to get out of his grasp. James held her tighter still, stroking her hair gently.

"They're gone Lily. Dawn and Buffy are gone."

* * *

"Will this room be alright?"

Harry turned away from the window, back at the small woman dressed in simple clothes. "Yes, thank you." He said, turning back to the window to look at the gorgeous view of the town below him.

Footsteps on the wooden floor told him that the woman was coming toward him, and he turned around so as not to be rude. She had oriental features and thin black hair, her eyes so blue and deep that it reminded Harry of Dumbledore. "Albus and I have been friends for quite a few years." She said, joining him at the windowsill. Harry looked at her quizzically, not wanting to be rude but wishing she would go away and leave him in peace.

"How did you two meet?" He asked politely, for sake of conversation.

She smiled, "That does not matter. But he trusts me, and I hope you will do the same."

Harry said nothing, but turned back to the glorious view ahead of him. He could feel the woman's eyes on him, but he didn't say anything.

"I could look at this view all day." She said, looking out to the purple sky. "It's beautiful, so calm and serene. You could get lost in it for days." She said, and she turned away from Harry and started to walk away. "But you cannot get lost forever. I know it is none of my business, but running away does not solve anything."

"I'm not running away." Harry said firmly, glaring back at her.

She smiled, unaffected by his cold stare. "Alright, whatever it is you call it. You know, Voldemort was not so much of a threat here in Thailand. So I cannot imagine how it must have been, or how hard it was for you to defeat him. Albus tells me it was quite a miracle, and you are very powerful." She sighed. "But you are still a boy, not yet a man, and that is something on your shoulders."

Harry said nothing, just listened as she left the room and the door closed behind her, leaving him in an awkward silence, alone with his thoughts.

* * *

Buffy Summers slept in a warm, comfortable bed, unaware of the changes being made around and inside her. Sirius Black lay next to her, his arm draped protectively over Buffy's stomach. They were both asleep, oblivious to everything.

In the room next to Buffy's were two beds. One was empty; the covers perfectly made but not slept in, the bedside table clean but with nothing on it. This bed was meant for Harry Potter, but until he returned from wherever he was in the world, it would remain empty.

Across the room from Harry's bed, was another bed. It was occupied by a girl, only ten months older than Harry. She had long, waist-length brown hair that lay messily on the bedclothes. She was dressed simply in shorts and a t-shirt, and the bed covers were tangled around her ankles. Dark eyelashes rested on pale skin, and behind closed eyelids were eyes the colour of deep sea. The girl moaned softly, moving silently in her sleep as memories formed in her mind. It was over before you could say 'Firebolt', and she was once again at peace.

But her peace would be interrupted soon, for Dawn Summers, sister to Buffy Summers, Lily Evans and Petunia Dursley, was a mystical ball of energy that could open the doors to all dimensions and make them bleed together. She was the key; she was what two hellgods were searching the world for at that moment, and they would not rest until they had their key.

Dawn's peace was about to be shattered once more.

'_You think you know, what's to come, what you are? You haven't even begun.'

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EMBER91: The guy that went after Willow was Rack, from Season 6. Thanks for reviewing; I'm glad you liked it!

Beth: Willow had no idea who Rack was, she just sensed his power, and the fact that he attacked her pretty much told her he was a bad guy. Nothing is going to happen to Remus really, I don't have a big storyline with him, and he'll be in the sequel but not a lot. I love Remus, he's one of my favourite characters and I think he's had the worst life in the HP Fandom save Harry. So much love for Remus woo!

Dreamer Child: There is going to be a lot more Sirius/Buffy moments in the sequel because I love them together, so it should be exciting. In the sequel, there should be a lot more romance.

Thank you to EVERYONE who has reviewed and been reading the story for this long. I'm so proud of it, and so thankful that people actually like it so colour me thrilled. The sequel should be up soon, look out for it, and this chapter, and incidents from the last couple of chapters should tell you what it will be about.

I hope you've all enjoyed the story; it was fun writing it…'till next time…thank you all and good night!

Becks


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